THE SDLP’s Mark H Durkan has expressed concern that the waiting list for occupational therapy assessments are spiralling out of control.
Currently 14,200 people in the North of Ireland are waiting for their first occupational therapy appointment.
Of these, 2,356 people in the Western Trust alone have been waiting over 13 weeks, the highest number and longest wait of any Trust area.
Said the Foyle MLA: “Access to occupational therapy is a basic support which should be readily available for any functioning health service, but for many citizens it is increasingly becoming a luxury.
“An occupational therapy assessment is a critical first step in the recovery process for anyone wishing to access support but the numbers and waiting time is worsening year on year.
“It is shocking but of no surprise that the Western Trust, has displayed the highest numbers of people waiting over 13 weeks- 2,356 people to be exact.
“That is just staggering.
“We cannot forget that behind each statistic is a personal story; an individual and their families struggling to access services, support and home adaptations to improve their quality of life and restore some semblance of independence.
“Ultimately, these waits are depriving people of their dignity.
“The failure to meet the target of 13 weeks and its denial of services is going to have dire consequences for their own personal development.
“Yet for anyone trapped on these worsening waiting lists plans to increase training places and additional university places for occupational therapy is facing budgetary constraints.
“An additional 10 places to the 40 undergraduate places for occupational therapy was considered for 2021-22 however, there is no funding for any such expansion.
“Lists are clearly spiralling out of control and impacting on more and more citizens across the North. We must do better to address this backlog and improve the quality of life for thousands of people.”
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