Brian Stanley: 900 Children Waiting - Where Are the OTs?
Brian Stanley pressed Ministers over long waits and vacant therapy posts for children with special needs and autism. He highlighted that roughly 900 children are on waiting lists for assessments and asked whether the HSE and Department of Health have approved recruitment of occupational therapists.
Key facts: Brian Stanley raised the issue in the chamber, noting an estimated 900 children on waiting lists for assessments of need and multiple vacant occupational therapy posts in children and young people services. He told the chamber he had asked the HSE on 17 February for confirmation of approval to recruit, and that he had not yet received an answer.
Vacancies and local impact: The Deputy flagged that four occupational therapy posts in children and young people services remain vacant and questioned whether approval has been granted to recruit for young people and children locally. He pressed the Minister for a definitive yes or no on approvals from the Department of Health and HSE management.
Ministerial response and next steps: The Minister acknowledged the point and said there is an understanding that approval exists for 11 therapy posts in relation to the Midlands and pledged to follow up with the HSE. The Minister also referenced ongoing work on assessment of need legislation and the need to review legislative structures to ensure the right to an assessment of need is effective in practice.
Key facts: Brian Stanley raised the issue in the chamber, noting an estimated 900 children on waiting lists for assessments of need and multiple vacant occupational therapy posts in children and young people services. He told the chamber he had asked the HSE on 17 February for confirmation of approval to recruit, and that he had not yet received an answer.
Vacancies and local impact: The Deputy flagged that four occupational therapy posts in children and young people services remain vacant and questioned whether approval has been granted to recruit for young people and children locally. He pressed the Minister for a definitive yes or no on approvals from the Department of Health and HSE management.
Ministerial response and next steps: The Minister acknowledged the point and said there is an understanding that approval exists for 11 therapy posts in relation to the Midlands and pledged to follow up with the HSE. The Minister also referenced ongoing work on assessment of need legislation and the need to review legislative structures to ensure the right to an assessment of need is effective in practice.
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Transcript
...relation to services for children with special needs and autism is a black spot. There are roughly 900 children at any one time on a waiting list for assessments of needs. There's no OT for primary care for primary care for children and young adults in Leash and no approval. The latest information I get is there's no approval to actually recruit one for young people and children. That's the last update I got. The four posts are vacant in children and young people services in terms of just OTs alone. I asked the HSE to confirm on the 17th of February if approval had been given. I still haven't received an answer for that. So the question is here is that is there approval, and the Minister of Health is sitting beside you, is there approval from the Department of Health and the HSE management to recruit occupational therapists for young persons and children for Leash Offerly? And what progress has been made on that? Yes or no? Minister, or Councillor, whichever. Sorry, thanks very much. Thank you to Deputy Stanley. I know much of this is in the responsibility of the Department of Disability and obviously with work with the HSE. The Deputy raises an important issue. My understanding is that there is approval now for 11 therapy posts in relation to the Midlands, but let me follow up with the HSE in relation to that. Deputy Glyndon reminds me of that. There is also a broader issue, but I'll come back to you directly on the OT piece. There is also this broader body of work that I hope we can get right. We're going to rock this in terms of the assessment of need legislation that we're looking at together. I believe PLS legislative scrutiny of the committee is due to conclude shortly. I do think we need to look at the legislative structures that we have in place to make sure everybody always has a right, absolutely, to an assessment of need, but that the structures work much better. I think that's a really, really important thing. But in terms of the therapy posts, let me get you a note in relation to the Midlands.