Occupational Therapy Assessment within the South-East Community Healthcare Region experiencing long delays

Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and at the Department of Health has highlighted the number of persons currently waiting for an Occupational Therapy Assessment within the CHO South-East Community Healthcare Region, as follows;

Carlow / Kilkenny - 1,960 of which 1,035 have been waiting over a year

South Tipperary- 688 of which 215 have been waiting over a year

Waterford - 1,029 of which 213 have been waiting over a year

Wexford- 1,392 of which 674 have been waiting over a year

The minster explains: "The South East Community Healthcare Region of the HSE advise that once a client receives an Occupational Therapy assessment, a treatment plan is progressed so there are no waiting lists for treatment. In addition, Occupational Therapy Waiting Lists are continually monitored in the overall context of available resources and prioritisation criteria. Unfortunately, all services within the HSE are currently experiencing significant recruitment challenges due to shortages of Health and Social Care Professionals, including Occupational Therapists. This has, regrettably, led to significant waiting times for services. The HSE advise that it is reviewing all options to address the current level of vacancies as quickly as possible."

The legacy of the pandemic on the healthcare system remains an ongoing issue with waiting lists nationally reaching record levels despite Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly launching the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan, earlier this year to stabilise and reduce waiting lists and waiting times for elective care in Ireland. 

Projections for 2022 show that over 1.5 million patients will be added to active waiting lists this year while figures in June revealed that there are 1.3M people or one quarter of the nations' population now on some form of waiting list, which included 100,00 children on hospital waiting lists.