Madam, – I refer to the extensive coverage in The Irish Times in recent days (October 20th, 21st and 22nd) regarding so-called “dental fraud” and in particular the report in the Healthplus supplement (October 20th).
On behalf of the representative body for the profession, the Irish Dental Association, I wish to set out our views on the very serious concerns arising from this series of reports in your newspaper.
The coverage in Healthplus extrapolates from a quote in a report from Dr Paul Batchelor which suggests that, based on evidence from other countries which operate very different payment systems to that pertaining in Ireland, more than 10 per cent of claims by dentists in Ireland “could be inappropriate or fraudulent”.
Nowhere does he proffer evidence that there is any such level of inappropriate behaviour in Ireland.
Such baseless speculation casts a slur on all dentists and is grossly unfair when you realise that a probity scheme, which had been in place with the full support of dentists and the Irish Dental Association, was withdrawn by the HSE for no apparent reason in 2007.
As recently as September 17th last, the association met the HSE to protest at the continued absence of a dental probity scheme for the very reasons that we believe that payments from the public purse have to be protected from abuse and that a probity scheme would ensure all dentists operate to the same rules. An added benefit of such a scheme would be that it would offer dentists a meaningful defence against the type of accusation made in your report.
We note also that you report the Department of Health and Children has failed to publish an oral health strategy which has been ready for publication for many months.
We would call for its immediate publication to allow an honest debate on necessary changes which we have sought for many years, including greater probity and the appointment of a chief dental officer and a dental leadership position in the HSE.
The absence of both these appointments and the failure of the HSE to agree a probity scheme with the Irish Dental Association serve only to emphasise the lack of priority attached by the current administration to dental care.
We can only hope this is not further compounded by a decision to abolish the PRSI dental benefit scheme, as proposed in the recent McCarthy report.
To emphasise again, all branches of the dental profession represented by the association support probity.
We want to have an agreed system restored immediately and an open and honest debate on oral health policy. – Yours, etc,