Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Reilly for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to update the House on it. Significant additional resources have been invested over the past number of years in the State’s primary care and disability services, with a view to enhancing therapy service provision. For example, additional funding of €20 million was allocated in 2013 to strengthen primary care services and to support the recruitment of more than 260 prioritised front-line primary care team posts. This included 48 physiotherapist posts and 52.5 occupational therapist posts, all of which have now been filled. The HSE’s primary care division has commenced a national caseload capacity review in support of overall performance and optimum resource utilisation and is trialling a software system to assist in reducing the administration tasks of allied health professionals, thus increasing capacity for direct client contact time.

With particular reference to Cavan-Monaghan, all children there who require physiotherapy and occupational therapy are currently assessed in the children’s disability services, which I know the Senator is aware of. The referral rates to the paediatric physiotherapy and occupational therapy service have increased steadily over the past number of years. Between 2010 and 2014 there was a 32% increase in referrals of children to the physiotherapy and occupational therapy service in Cavan-Monaghan. In 2010, there were 221 children referred for assessment. This figure increased to 292 in 2014.

All children referred to the child development teams are prioritised based on clinical need according to an agreed prioritisation system. Where a joint physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessment is required, the child is placed on the waiting list in accordance with the agreed clinical prioritisation criteria. Cavan-Monaghan operates a group intervention programme and caseloads are validated on a monthly basis. There has been a recent review of all staffing in the children’s disability teams nationally and this will support the allocation of all therapy posts in 2016. I will explain this further later.

Cavan-Monaghan is restructuring its services in line with the national programme for progressing disability services for children and young people. An underlying principle of progressing disability services for children and young people is that children should be seen at primary care level. A child presenting with complex needs will then be referred to the children’s disability network team. The Cavan-Monaghan implementation plan for progressing disability services for children and young people proposes the establishment of network paediatric teams at primary care level as this will facilitate children with non-complex needs accessing services in primary care, as appropriate. The establishment of these teams at primary care level should ensure that therapy services for children are more accessible and available within acceptable timeframes.

The Cavan-Monaghan area divisional management team has agreed to upgrade five existing allied health professional posts to support the progressing disabilities agenda. Furthermore, a recruitment process is currently under way to ensure that this service is staffed by senior clinicians with specific paediatric training with a view to being operational before year end. Additional allied health professional posts are being considered in the context of the HSE’s national service plan for 2016 in order to address waiting lists.

Local services have also indicated that they will further review waiting times. I hope this reply has been of assistance to the Senator.