Production overload is expected to delay the delivery of Otago's first mobile school dental clinic until 2012.
The first of the four two-chair clinics was supposed to arrive later this year, but a "heavily oversubscribed production schedule" has resulted in the expected delay, Otago and Southland district health boards' project manager Graham Bugler says.
The Otago and Southland revamp, expected to cost about $8 million, was originally expected to be completed by February 2012.
In a report to a recent community and public health advisory committee meeting, he says negotiations are being held with District Health Boards New Zealand (DHBNZ) and the Ministry of Health to try and improve the situation.
The buying of the mobile clinics for all areas planning to introduce them has been organised through DHBNZ on behalf of all boards.
If no improvement in the delivery date can be made, some rural dental clinics will have to stay open for one or two years longer than planned.
It would also mean the move to have all therapists working with assistants, and X-ray facilities, would be delayed in the communities involved.
His report does not spell out which areas are expected to be affected.
Under the new plan, 18 sites around Otago will have mobile clinics.
A survey of all Otago dental clinics in 2004 found that all of the then 66 clinics failed to meet at least one of a range of standards. Some clinics have since closed.
Mr Bugler said the delay in the mobile clinics would not affect the construction of mobile pads or the seven fixed clinics.
One of the fixed clinics will be at the University of Otago's faculty of dentistry in Dunedin.
Mr Bugler said steady progress had been made on the partnership between the dental service and the faculty and it was expected that staffing arrangements for this would be negotiated with the Public Service Association in the next three months.
In response to questions from the Otago Daily Times, Ministry of Health chief dental officer Dr Tim Mackay said in an email while there was no delay in the overall introduction of new fixed clinics and mobile units, the ministry was aware there was a production schedule issue.
This could be resolved by discussions among district health boards or a rephasing of their building programmes.
Mr Bugler's report does not address the issue of whether the delay is likely to involve cost over-runs.
The first of Southland's mobile units is expected this month, with a second next month.
