Extent of OT shortage revealed

The full consequences of the Health Service Executive’s recruitment embargo on occupational therapists (OTs) was laid bare recently in an HSE parliamentary reply to Labour Party TD Roisin Shortall.

With 26,371 people nationally awaiting assessment by an occupational therapist, figures for Dublin West alone indicate that 1,321 adults and 140 children are currently on the waiting list. With many patients waiting more than a year to be seen, the irony is that seven vacant OT posts in this area cannot be filled due to the embargo.

The role of occupational therapists is wide ranging. They work with people whose performance and participation in everyday living has been disrupted by disability, physical injury or illness, developmental problems, psychological problems and/or social and environmental impediments. Occupational therapists aim to help people improve their day-to-day quality of life by involving them in structured activities or occupations.

Typically people needing assessment might be people who have suffered a stroke, people with disabilities and elderly people.

“Once again the effects of the HSE embargo on recruitment and replacement of staff can be seen with figures obtained by my party colleague, Deputy Roisin Shortall, which reveal that nationally more than 26,000 people are awaiting assessment by an occupational therapist,” said Labour Party councillor Michael O’Donovan. “Until an assessment is carried out people are not able to avail of a whole range of services which will enable the patient to maintain the highest possible level of independence.

“Despite there being a national recruitment campaign for occupational therapists early last year with more than 180 applicants being interviewed and a panel of 150 established, the posts were never filled because of the recruitment embargo.

“You only need to look at the figures for Occupational Therapists to realise the hardship suffered by many patients as a result of the recruitment embargo despite Minister Harney and Prof Drumm’s claim that patients were not adversely affected,” said Cllr. O’Donovan.

In reply, a Health Service Executive spokesman said that since the establishment of the HSE in 2005, it had considerably increased the number of occupational therapists employed in the service.

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