Health Minister responds on child disability service waiting lists

The issue of access to speech and language services for families in Cavan was highlighted in the Seanad last week when waiting times and transport to appointments were flagged.

Living in the Bailieborough area for over thirty years, Senator Joe O’Reilly said, traditionally, there had been a Speech & Language Service in the east Cavan towns of Bailieborough, Shercock and Mullagh.

“It’s my understanding from parents in this area that the service has been abandoned and families are now asked to attend the service in the town of Cavan. It’s centralised,” he added.

“Not all of the families have transport, it is difficult to overcome this and the costs.”

Despite “huge strides” made in public transport in the area, Sen O’Reilly said using the bus “involved quite the chunk of the day” and is also expensive.

He said that not many families have the time to travel to Cavan via public transport, what with work and other family commitments. He also raised the concern that children are not attending school when they have these appointments; while not attending the appointment on “one or two” occasions could see them “struck off” the service.

“I am aware that the non-attendance policy takes them out of the service quickly.”

With a background in teaching, Sen O’Reilly said he “can’t see” how the services would be improved by centralising them to Cavan Town.

“It’s a one-to-one thing with very little resources,” he pointed out.

“I think it’s mind bogglingly stupid unless I am being misinformed.”

His comments come as HSE figures, published recently, reveal Cavan and Monaghan as a blackspot for delays in accessing therapies with thousands of children on waiting lists for therapies such as Speech & Language and Occupational Therapy.

Responding on the issue in the Seanad last week, Minister for Health Carroll MacNeill stated that “at a higher level” primary care therapy services generally “play an absolutely central role in enhancing the health and wellbeing of both children and adults in the community”.

She also pointed out the “very important early intervention measures that Speech & Language therapy can provide.”

Minister MacNeill stated that she is doing “everything” she can “to get more Speech & Language therapists with regard to the number of training places”.

The Health Minister informed the room that she has met with CORU to work on “the speed of registrations and how we might do that better” with the aim of getting more people on the register “to be able to serve our community”.

The minister also stated that she met with the national clinical directorate for disability the previous day about making sure that as many therapists are available in the system to provide services to everybody who needs them.

“The Sláinte Care principal is as close to home as possible but we are not there yet and we have to organise services in a way that maximises our ability to gain the most out of the good training and the good experience of every therapist.

“I’m aware that recent increases in the number of referrals and also increases in the complexity of presentations do require many more intensive interventions that have put more pressure on many primary care services including Speech & Language therapies.”

Minister MacNeill also mentioned “staff shortages” faced by primary care services and “ongoing recruitment challenges”, which have “increased the waiting lists across the country”.

The Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) in Cavan is also operating at around half its capacity due to job vacancies.

“I fully recognise the frustration for people in Cavan who have to address long waiting lists and also the geographical proximity of the services that are available to them,” said the Minister.

She wants to make sure that children “have timely access to therapeutic services”.

On the do not attend issue, she said “it is very important” that people do attend their appointments.

“Every appointment that is not fulfilled costs somebody else the opportunity.

“I am committed to building capacity in primary care, I am committed to recruiting additional staff numbers,” she stated.

The Minister also said that the government is seeking to increase the number of college places for health and social care professionals.

Locally, Minister MacNeill highlighted how services are being delivered across the county in Cootehill; Breffni Care Centre, Ballyconnell; and Cavan Town “in line with the current staffing resources” available.

“That is our big challenge, making sure we have enough therapists to be able to deliver to the people who need it as close to home as possible.

“We are not there yet,” she admitted.

Pledging to continue to work to improve the service, the Minister concluded: “I hear the Senator very clearly about the needs of the people of Cavan.”

Protest

Meanwhile in Cavan, a protest has been organised by two parents who are campaigning to get essential therapies for their children.

The demonstration will take place on Tuesday, August 12, at 10am, when families of children with additional needs are encouraged to stand outside the HSE building on Cavan’s Main Street in a peaceful demonstration for more services.