Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2016
27. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health the action that is being taken to improve waiting times for occupational therapy, especially for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30649/16]
View answerI am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue. As those opposite know, the waiting list is getting larger rather than smaller.
I thank Deputy Murphy O'Mahony for raising this important matter. She has pushed this issue as well as that of speech therapy previously.
The programme for a partnership Government commits to a decisive shift within the health service towards primary care in order to deliver better care close to home in communities across the country. Community-based occupational therapy is a key component of a multidisciplinary primary care service and can play a considerable part in supporting people to remain in their own homes and communities.
Significant additional resources have been invested in primary care and disability services in recent years with a view to enhancing therapy service provision. In particular, additional funding of €20 million was provided in 2013 to strengthen primary care services and to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line posts. As part of this initiative, the HSE recruited more than 260 additional posts for primary care teams, which included 52 occupational therapists.
The HSE has established a national therapy service review group to address therapy waiting times, including those for occupational therapies. This joint primary care and social care project will include a detailed analysis of waiting times and resource deployment across the country. The group's objective is to complete its work by March 2017. It will seek to make the services more responsive to people's needs and to put in place a standardised approach to the delivery of occupational therapy services.
With respect, the Government could be doing more. Currently, 4,370 people have been waiting for more than a year for their first occupational therapy assessments. This time last year, it was 3,081. Last year's figures were awful, so the increase is worrying. Some 3,500 people aged under 18 years have been waiting for longer than a year. Cork and Kerry combined account for one quarter of the waiting list. Is there a specific reason for this and will the Minister comment on the issue?
Occupational therapy is fundamental in assisting people who have disabilities or had accidents and need help dealing with injuries and is important for their quality of life. Will the Minister of State please do more to reduce the waiting lists for such essential services?
I take the Deputy's points. As of May, there were 1,148 occupational therapist posts across mental health primary care and social care, representing an increase of 53 posts since May 2015 and 81 posts since May 2014. The recruitment of additional occupational therapist posts is ongoing. These figures do not cover section 38 bodies. Additional therapy supports, including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, are being put in place this year. These will be further augmented by increased funding for the continued implementation of the progressing disability services programme for children and young people with disabilities.
I have prioritised this issue and am sitting down with the HSE to draw up a service plan. Occupational therapy and speech and language therapy are on the list.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As he draws up those plans with the HSE, I will be watching him. I hope that he sticks to his word.
The Minister of State will agree that so many young people waiting this long for an assessment is worrying.
Occupational therapy is vital for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, spina bifida, etc. We really are at a crisis point with these waiting lists so I ask the Minister of State to do his best to reduce them.
I reassure the Deputy on these issues. I accept that in the past, particularly in recent years, there has been a lack of investment in these services so we need to build and develop them to ensure that all children receive proper occupational therapy. It is a very important part of developing a forward-looking health service that includes everybody in society.
