Child waits seven years to see OT

A local councillor has accused the HSE of “creating the cracks” through which vulnerable children on waiting lists for therapeutic services are falling. 

The comments come after the Department for Health revealed the child awaiting the longest for physiotherapy in Cavan-Monaghan is up to two-and-a-half-years (136 weeks), while Occupational Therapy is over seven years (370 weeks).
“There are generations of young children who are falling through the cracks. By delaying the delivery of these services, the HSE is creating the cracks through which these children are falling. It’s an outrage. Instead of making sure these services are provided at a time in these children’s lives when it can be of most benefit to them, instead they are being made wait,” Sinn Féin’s Noel Connell told The Anglo-Celt.
He made the comments after the council received a letter from the Department in response to a motion he had tabled on the subject at a previous meeting.
The letter signed by Minister for Health Simon Harris provided details of the wait suffered by children in Counties Cavan and Monaghan up to the end of May this year.
“The HSE has acknowledged that these waiting times require improvement and has asked the Chief Officer, CHO Area 1 to provide additional details in relation to waiting lists for children in Cavan/Monaghan and to outline how waiting lists management is maintained in the area.”

Prioritised accordingly
Assured that the HSE healthcare services in Cavan-Monaghan “continually strive” to provide the most appropriate level of care to children and adults within a “timely period”, the letter went on to explain that the National Disability programme refers children with a disability whose needs are non-complex to primary care level. All referrals to primary care network services are then assessed based on referral information and “prioritised accordingly”.
“This allows for those that are prioritised as 'urgent’ to be seen as quickly as possible, whilst those prioritised as 'routine’ will have a longer waiting time. Prioritisation is based on a clinical assessment and criteria across all the therapy services,” the Minister said.
Minister Harris added in the letter that both the HSE and his Department “continue to ensure that every effort is made to minimise waiting times within the resources available.”

Answers
Dissatisfied with the response, Cllr Connell has now asked the council to write once again to Minister Harris and the HSE seeking urgent up-to-date information on just how they intend to deal with the “crazy” waiting lists in the region.
“Think of the parents of children who are being told their child is not a priority - where do they turn to then?” he asked. “The whole situation is just crazy.
“Something needs to be done and we need answers now. Two-and-a-half years [for physio] is simply not good enough. This is potentially life-changing therapy that these children need. It’s well and good putting someone on a waiting list but there needs to be an end in sight, otherwise there is no hope,” Cllr Connell told the Celt.