Vol. 444 No. 1
140 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that occupational therapy service in Eastern Health Board area 6 has a waiting list of six to seven months for wheelchair assessment; if he will provide additional resources so that the waiting period can be reduced in view of the hardship caused by such a delay to people needing wheelchairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I understand that the length of the waiting list for wheelchair assessment in Eastern Health Board area 6 is currently four and a half months. I am aware also of the length of the waiting lists for occupational therapy in the Eastern Health Board generally.
An additional £1.5 million has been approved in 1994 for the development of services for people with physical disabilities, of which £500,000 has been allocated to the Eastern Health Board. The board's proposals for this expenditure include the employment of five additional community occupational therapists. I am confident that this will greatly assist in reducing waiting lists for assessment of people needing wheelchairs.
