New Government waiting list figures

According to a media release issued by Health Minister Bronwyn Pike on 28 September, average dental waiting times across Victoria as at June 2006 were 23.51 months, a reduction from the average of 30.98 months in December 2004.

Oddly, this latest media release suggests that there are now only 110,579 people on the waiting list for general dental care, when on 8 September, only 3 weeks earlier, the Minister issued a release stating that “Since the end of 2004, we have reduced the general dental waiting (list) by 84,464 people - from 262,440 to 177,976”.

Whichever figure is correct, the Government and the public dental agencies should be congratulated on the significant improvement.

The Victorian Oral Health Alliance (VOHA) website (www.voha.org) now shows all the latest figures as at the end of June 2006, for both general dental care and dentures. It also shows the change in waiting times for each clinic since December 2005.

Many rural and metropolitan clinics continue to have waiting times of longer than three years, so much remains to be done to ensure that all Victorians enjoy the basic oral care they deserve. To send a message urging continued efforts to improve the situation to the Minister for Health or local MPs associated with clinics with long waiting times, visit the VOHA website and use the email facilities provided.