SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said a record number of patients waiting for Occupational Therapy assessments is stripping people of dignity.
As of November 2023, a total of 17, 357 patients were waiting for an assessment across the North of Ireland.
The Western Health and Social Care Trust and Northern Health and Social Care Trust are experiencing the greatest demand with a total of 4,417 and 4,328 patients respectively, awaiting an OT appointment.
Said the Foyle MLA: “Waiting times are spiralling out of control and it will come as no surprise to people within my own constituency that the Western Trust has the highest number of patients and the longest waits for an OT assessment.
“Since 2020, the number of people waiting over 13 weeks for an assessment in the Western Trust has increased threefold.
“Given those high levels of demand, it is difficult to comprehend why the number of Occupational Therapists employed by the Western Trust is the lowest of any Trust area and by a significant margin.
“Access to occupational therapy is a basic and crucial right, one that should be readily available for patients.
“They should not be subject to a postcode lottery.
“Worryingly, my constituents are bearing the brunt of that postcode lottery. I’ve been approached by several people who were advised that they could be waiting up to two years for an assessment.
“This necessary support is fast becoming a luxury with people and their families, being forced to consider private healthcare.
“An OT assessment is the first step in accessing support and home adaptations for people living with a disability or health condition, which could radically improve their quality of life.
“The failure to meet the target of 13 weeks and subsequent denial of services is having dire consequences for patients’ personal development.
“Behind every statistic is a person; an individual and family struggling to meet without access to services and simple adaptations like a stair-lift, rollator walker or practices they can incorporate in their daily lives to restore confidence after an illness.
“I’ve heard too many cases of people forced to sleep on the sofa because they can’t manage climbing the stairs to bed at night.
“Others choose not to socialise, to isolate themselves because they don’t have access to suitable washing facilities.
“The failure to get a grip on this crisis, is denying people of their dignity and their wellbeing. The invaluable service provided by occupational therapists empowers lives.
“Focus must be on recruitment of staff to ensure regional imbalances are addressed and adequate resources are in place not only to deliver services to patients but to alleviate pressures facing staff.”
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