Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has called for an immediate ending of the HSE ban on the recruitment of staff. Accusing the government of opting to sacrifice the needs of frontline services in order to service the needs of a bloated and oversized management structure, which is resulting in unsafe, poor-quality outcomes for patients, he also laid the blame for the backlog in services for children with needs on government failures.
There are over 15,000 children across the state overdue for completion of Assessment of Needs (AON). Which must be concluded before children are permitted to access additional services. It is anticipated that there will be an additional 8,000 children who will become overdue for completion in 2024.
This includes thousands of children across Wicklow who have been left waiting sometimes for several years for the assessments and diagnosis that would allow them to receive the care they need and are entitled to as a result of staff shortages in the HSE.
There are currently 4,032 children in HSE CHO 6, and CHO 7, which cover Wicklow waiting for access to Children Disability Network Teams (CDNT).
Brady said:
“The government decision to impose a recruitment freeze in the HSE is having real consequences on the lives of children with additional needs.
There are currently 4,032 children waiting for an initial contact with Children’s Disability Network Teams 3,078 of whom are waiting over a year, in the CHO 6, and CHO 7 HSE areas.
There are a further 1,519 children across the County of Wicklow waiting for an Assessment of Needs, some 1,239 of whom have been waiting over three months.
The HSE readily concedes that a major part of the cause in the backlog is due to staff shortages. Yet the government insist on maintaining the recruitment embargo in the HSE.
While there are currently 707 staff vacancies across 91 CDNT’s across the state.
Under this government, young doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals are being educated and trained to emigrate. The Taoiseach’s recruitment embargo is sending a message to those who have already left not to come back.
Sinn Féin wants to end the hiring freeze and double the recruitment target to a minimum target of 6,000 new jobs.
The reality is under the current situation the HSE cannot provide core services.
According to figures released to me from the HSE, it is estimated that there are approximately 15,000 applications ‘overdue for completion’ at this time. This includes Assessment of Needs (AONs) currently overdue and Preliminary Team Assessments.
Waiting lists are out of control, parents are crying out for help, they really feel as if they have been abandoned by the state.
An Assessment of Needs is the first and vital step in determining if a child has a disability.
Arising from the AON the child’s needs are identified in addition to the kind of services which will be required to ensure the child can meet their potential.
In recognition of the critical role of the AON it is prescribed to take place under a given time limit under law.
The 2005 Disability Act provides that an AON must be carried out within three months of an application. The emphasis on completion of AON is a recognition of the critical nature of time in the whole process.
The longer a condition remains undiagnosed or untreated, the greater the chance of regression, sometimes to a point where potential is completely depressed. This matter can have lifelong consequences for any child who requires treatment.
Operating under restraints imposed by the government, the HSE and TUSLA have either ignored or been unable to fulfil these obligations for years.
For over ten years there have been a raft of challenges in the courts by parents.
I have spoken to parents who have submitted formal complaints, the result of which they are told that they have been placed on a waiting list to deal with the complaints never mind access CDNTs.
This is an absolute disgrace, and completely unacceptable and is placing incredible pressure on parents.
There is simply not enough staff employed in the Children’s Disability Network Team to meet the current backlog of appointments.
The government needs to provide urgently needed additional staff to clear the backlog immediately.
We also need the HSE to release funding for the provision of the ‘More Than Words Programme’, which offers advice and assistance for parents while they are waiting for referrals and assessments to be carried out.
There is a very real impact on the lives of parents and children from the failure of the state to provide sufficient staff to carry out the AONs and CDNT appointments.
Children often left waiting for years end up struggling at school. Parents cannot receive domiciliary care allowance until the child receives a diagnosis. And this lack of diagnosis also prevents children getting access to ASD or SNAs in schools.
I am calling on the Wicklow Taoiseach Simon Harris, and the Wicklow Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to act immediately to recruit the staff needed in order to prevent more children being denied access to the care they need.”