A local Labour Party representative has condemned the number of children aged up to 17 years and 11 months waiting for psychology, therapy, dietetics, ophthalmology, and audiology services in the South Lee area of Cork.

Labour local area rep in Cork City Peter Horgan obtained figures from the HSE which show over 6,000 children in South Lee were waiting for services through the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) in December 2022.

The HSE said it acknowledges the challenges in meeting the demand for children’s disability services and is acutely conscious of how this impacts children and their families.

“Children requiring interventions including health and therapy services would access services through Primary Care Teams in CHO (Community Healthcare Organisations) areas as well as through Children’s Disability Services,” Head of Operations of Disability Services, Bernard O’Regan, said

“HSE Disability Services does not gather data on services provided through other service areas such as primary care.

“It is not possible to give information on the number of children aged zero to 18 awaiting first-time intervention in all areas of early intervention, however, Primary Care Operations has compiled the latest available waiting list data, on services for which they collate data, for the end of December 2022 for those aged zero to 17 years and 11 months,” Mr O’Regan, said.

The figures provided show that there were a total of 6,297 children aged up to 17 years and 11 months waiting for psychology, therapy, dietetics, ophthalmology, and audiology services in South Lee in December 2022.

Figures show there were a total of 1,322 patients waiting for psychology treatment, 601 of whom were waiting over 52 weeks to be seen.

There were a total of 951 children awaiting first-time assessment for occupational therapy in December 2022.

In South Lee 174 patients were awaiting first-time assessment for physiotherapy in December; 447 patients were awaiting initial assessment for speech and language therapy; 485 were awaiting initial therapy for speech and language therapy; and 591 patients aged up to 17 years and 11 months were awaiting further speech and language therapy.

Two hundred and 19 patients were awaiting dietetics treatment. There were no patients waiting for ophthalmology treatment in South Lee in December 2022.

There were 2,108 patients in South Lee awaiting audiology treatment.

Speaking to The Echo about the figures, Peter Horgan, said: “To see over 6,000 children from Blackrock to Douglas, Carrigaline, and Ballincollig and down to Kinsale awaiting therapy is stark.

“It is concerning to see such high numbers, especially in psychology, speech and language as a whole, and audiology.

“I will be taking up the challenges of this for the South Lee area with my colleague Seán Sherlock TD and health spokesperson Duncan Smith TD too. We need to dramatically ramp up the recruitment and retention of therapists in the HSE and Section 38/39 organisations.

“That means proper wages and fair conditions. The collateral result is these increasing waiting lists for families in Cork.”

County Cork

Meanwhile, Deputy Sherlock has said the never-ending wait for disability services in Cork county is having a “detrimental impact” on children and families.

He said “a proactive approach” is needed to tackle the number of children aged up to 17 years and 11 months waiting for psychology, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, ophthalmology, and audiology services in Cork county.

Deputy Sherlock obtained figures from the HSE through Parliamentary Question that show over 4,700 children in Cork County were waiting for services through the CDNTs in December 2022.

The figures provided show that there were 4,722 children aged up to 17 years and 11 months waiting for psychology, therapy, dietetics, ophthalmology, and audiology services in North Cork and West Cork, which are part of CHO Area 4, in December 2022.

Figures show there were a total of 456 patients in North Cork and 247 in West Cork waiting for psychology treatment.

There were a total of 711 patients in North Cork and 222 in West Cork awaiting first-time assessment for occupational therapy in December 2022.

In North Cork, 310 patients and 53 patients in West Cork aged up to 17 years and 11 months were awaiting first-time assessment for physiotherapy in December.

Three hundred and forty-six patients in North Cork and 88 patients in West Cork were awaiting initial assessment for speech and language therapy, 304 patients in North Cork and 105 in West Cork were awaiting initial therapy for speech and language therapy, and 172 patients in North Cork and 215 in West Cork were awaiting further speech and language therapy.

In North Cork, 211 patients aged up to 17 years and 11 months were awaiting dietetics treatment, while 95 patients in West Cork were waiting for treatment.

There were 1,052 patients in North Cork and a further 135 in West Cork waiting for ophthalmology treatment in December 2022.

There were no patients in North Cork or in West Cork awaiting audiology treatment.

Speaking to The Echo, Deputy Sherlock said: “It is a constant theme from parents of children in the Cork area that the never-ending wait for services is having a detrimental impact on children and families.

“A lack of communication is also a major issue for parents.

“What we need to see is recruitment and retention issues solved once and for all across all sections of the disability services, both community and CDNT, and a proactive approach to the wider provision of therapies to families at an early stage to attempt to mitigate issues in the years ahead.”

The HSE said it acknowledges the challenges in meeting the demand for children’s disability services and said it is “acutely conscious” of how this impacts children and their families.