Massive waiting lists for speech therapy

THOUSANDS of Northsiders are enduring frustrating delays in accessing speech and language therapy services with hundreds, mainly children, left waiting more than a year.

The shocking figures seen by Northside People indicate a major problem accessing the vital support services from the HSE, which is partly due to a lack of staff.

According to figures released by the HSE, as of December 2012, 6,700 people were waiting for the speech and language support in all of the North Dublin catchment areas.

Almost 550 of these will be waiting longer than one year for the speech and language support services.

Dublin North West, which covers Blanchardstown, Cabra, Finglas and Glasnevin, had the longest list with a total of 1,466 waiting for support as of last December.

The situation is as a result of speech and language support posts that cannot be filled as a result of budgetary restraints and the public service recruitment embargo.

Dublin West had the second longest list with 1,371 waiting followed by Dublin North with 575 and North Central with 450 people.

The figures were released to local TD Roisin Shortall (Lab) who has questioned why no new therapists have been recruited to alleviate the backlog.

“Twenty million euro was set aside by the Government in 2012 to recruit key health workers such as speech and language therapists,

? Deputy Shortall said.

“The plan was to recruit 47 speech and language therapists and to place these around the country to areas of greatest need, including several to the North Dublin area.

“However, no speech and language therapists were recruited last year because of a decision to use the money instead to deal with cost over-runs in other parts of the health service.

“Twenty million euro was again set aside for 2013 but no therapists are yet in place.

“Delays in accessing speech and language services, especially for children, makes treatment more difficult and costs the health service, and indeed the education service, more in the long run.

“These children can’t afford to wait any longer.

?

A spokesperson for the HSE acknowledged that there has been a reduction in the number of speech and language therapists (SLT) in the North West Dublin Area in the past 12 months.

“This is primarily due to resignations,

? she told Northside People.

“Due to the inability to recruit SLT staff, primarily because of budgetary pressure and the moratorium on recruitment, increased waiting times for children on the Early Intervention Team (0-5 years) of between 8-12 months are being experienced.

?

The HSE spokesperson added that it would continue to provide services within the current available resources.