Northern suburbs residents facing a wait of more than two years for public dental care will have better access to services under new funding arrangements.
Plenty Valley Community Health chief executive Doreen Power said its public dental service had a 28-month waiting list for general dental care, but aimed to reduce it to 12 months by 2015.
She said PVCH, which provides dental care to about 15,000 people a year, aimed to help children under the age of 18 as a priority but offered services to all age groups.
The community health care service would expand its existing dental services in Epping and Whittlesea and would also work with private dentists using vouchers which patients could use for private work with a $25 out-of-pocket expense, she said.
She said PVCH would share additional funding under an agreement between state and federal governments where the Commonwealth would provide $85.4 million to numerous organisations to treat an extra 110,000 public dental patients, but PVCH was waiting on advice of its exact share.
“Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) will co-ordinate the delivery of the additional services, utilising both the public sector and private dentists through the existing voucher arrangements,” Ms Power said.
“This is an opportunity for PVCH to work in partnership with DHSV and the private clinicians.”
She said PVCH would reinstate two evening dental sessions at its Coopers Street, Epping clinic and expand services at its Walnut Street, Whittlesea clinic, and was recruiting staff for the extra services.
