Brian Stanley: Warns 15,292 Children Overdue for Assessments
Brian Stanley warned that 15,292 children who require an assessment of need are overdue, with 13,002 waiting more than nine months. He urged urgent action to shorten HSE procedures, speed approval of private clinicians and change legislation to prioritise access to therapies for children.
He cited HSE figures showing 15,292 children have passed the legal six-month timeframe for an assessment of need, with 13,002 waiting over nine months and 418 of those recorded in Lee Shoffley.
Brian Stanley said the cohort affected are missing out on essential interventions at a crucial point in their development, stressing that lengthy waits deny children timely therapies and supports.
He quoted the HSE chief Bernard Gloucester as warning the situation could get worse before it improves, and said HSE sources indicate the backlog could reach 25,000 by year end.
He noted the HSE sought tenders last year for private clinicians to reduce the waiting list but said some clinicians wait eight to nine months for approval due to HSE procedures. He called on offices and the Minister for Health to put urgency on shortening approval times so private providers can be deployed sooner.
He acknowledged progress in assessments, citing over 4,000 completed in 2024 (a 30% increase on 2023) and 1,400 completed in the first three months of this year (a 65% increase year-on-year). He said 2,479 assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of nearly 7 million targeting the longest-waiting families, and argued legislation must change to prioritise access to therapies rather than making assessment of need the sole first step.
Backlog figures
He cited HSE figures showing 15,292 children have passed the legal six-month timeframe for an assessment of need, with 13,002 waiting over nine months and 418 of those recorded in Lee Shoffley.
Impact on children
Brian Stanley said the cohort affected are missing out on essential interventions at a crucial point in their development, stressing that lengthy waits deny children timely therapies and supports.
HSE statements and projections
He quoted the HSE chief Bernard Gloucester as warning the situation could get worse before it improves, and said HSE sources indicate the backlog could reach 25,000 by year end.
Private clinicians and bureaucracy
He noted the HSE sought tenders last year for private clinicians to reduce the waiting list but said some clinicians wait eight to nine months for approval due to HSE procedures. He called on offices and the Minister for Health to put urgency on shortening approval times so private providers can be deployed sooner.
Progress and legislative change
He acknowledged progress in assessments, citing over 4,000 completed in 2024 (a 30% increase on 2023) and 1,400 completed in the first three months of this year (a 65% increase year-on-year). He said 2,479 assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of nearly 7 million targeting the longest-waiting families, and argued legislation must change to prioritise access to therapies rather than making assessment of need the sole first step.
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Transcript
The HSE teacher has stated that 15,292 children who required an assessment of need are overdue, i.e. they are gone past the legal timeframe of six months. Legally, this should be completed within the six-month period. 13,002 of them are gone over nine months waiting. 418 of these are in Lee Shoffley. This is totally unacceptable. The cohort affected are missing out on essential interventions at a crucial point in their development. The HSE chief Bernard Gloucester has stated within the past week that is going to get worse before it gets better. HSE sources are indicating that could hit 25,000 by the end of the year. The HSE has sought tenders last year for private clinicians to help reduce the waiting list, but some clinicians have stated that they are waiting eight and nine months to get approved due to bureaucracy and red tape within the HSE. I know there has to be procedures, but the one thing I want you to do is to use your offices and the Minister for Health to put some urgency on this and to get the HSE to shorten that procedure period to get these private clinicians in place to provide the services. Nine months is too long. I have answered some of this earlier, but just to give a sense of perspective, progress is being made even within the existing system. There is a significant increase in people waiting. There is no doubt. Over 4,000 assessments were completed in 2024. That is a 30% increase in 2023. 1,400 assessments were completed in the first three months of this year. That is a 65% increase compared to the same period last year. 2,479 assessments were commissioned from private providers, at a cost of nearly 7 million, targeting the longest waiting families through the HSE's waiting list initiative. And yes, in terms of procedures, we will do everything we can to accelerate, but we do need to change legislation so that we prioritise access for children to therapies. At the moment, the way things are legislated for children, it is the assessment of need first, and then there is a long delay whilst they are waiting for that in terms of access to services itself. Thank you, Tisha. The CD&T teams are getting more and more people recruited, and that is a positive as well. Thank you. Now, just to remind