Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this very important issue about Meath. The HSE has advised that the Meath occupational therapy service is delivered across three divisions: primary care consisting of adult services, including palliative care and children services; social care consisting of the adult disability team, a six to 18 school aged team and older persons and acute care services delivered at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.

The paediatric service provides an assessment of and services to children up to age 18 years, for whom typical presenting needs relate to, amongst other things, developmental coordination disorder, also known as dyspraxia, sensory processing difficulties, chronic pain and orthopaedic conditions. There is an open referral system in that referrals are accepted from general practitioners, parents, schools and other multidisciplinary team colleagues. I am advised that there are two priority levels in children primary care services and the longest waiting time under priority one is three months and 61 weeks under priority two. The HSE has informed me that there are staffing related matters affecting the delivery of occupational therapy services in County Meath. The complement for Meath occupational therapy services, which include adult and paediatric services, is 8.1 whole-time equivalents. However, the complement delivering services is 6.1 whole-time equivalents; this is due to a number of factors including maternity leave, sick leave and recent resignations. I understand from the HSE that one of the current vacancies has been approved for backfill and the position is going through the recruitment process.

A business case for the backfill of the other vacancy as well as four new additional positions for paediatric services awaits approval. Notwithstanding the change in the staffing complement in County Meath, the HSE assures that the services continue to be prioritised based on clinical need. I am aware that assessment and treatment waiting times in all community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas are dependent on identified need and the capacity and demands on the occupational therapy service in the particular area. In many areas, treatment intervention is completed on assessment and therefore there is no time delay once a client is assessed. Following the screening of referrals, a client's needs are prioritised by a standard prioritisation system. I do appreciate the Deputy's concerns that accessing services can be very difficult for the families and children affected and the need for additional therapy posts is highlighted in A Programme for a Partnership Government. The HSE has established a national therapy service review group to address therapy waiting times, including those for access to occupational therapies. This joint primary care and social care project will include a detailed analysis of waiting times and resource deployment across the country. I will seek to make the services more responsive to people's needs and also seek to put in place a standardised approach to the delivery of occupational therapy services across the country.

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