In the Wicklow and Kildare/West Wicklow areas there are currently 1,709 adults waiting for occupational therapy assessment, with 184 waiting over a year. In physiotherapy, 3,098 adults are waiting, with 359 waiting over a year.
Deputy Brady said the situation is spiralling out of control.
“These figures are nothing short of scandalous. In Wicklow alone there are 4807 adults waiting for occupational therapy or physiotherapy services, with over 500 of these waiting longer than a year. These are only the figures for adult waiting lists, and the children’s waiting lists are equally frightening. The waiting lists are snowballing to a point where the HSE simply will not be able to keep pace, and communities are being left to suffer as a result of chronic government neglect.”
He stressed that the impact is not just numbers on a page, but people’s lives being damaged.
“For many older people these delays are devastating. Without proper access to physiotherapy or occupational therapy they are unable to return home, they remain stuck in hospital beds for months, they become institutionalised, and their independence and freedom are taken away. Families are left watching loved ones deteriorate because the government has failed to provide basic supports in the community.”
Brady was critical of chronic understaffing in the HSE, and the government’s reliance on costly private agency workers.
“The HSE budget continues to increase year on year, but people do not see this reflected in shorter waiting times or improved care. Instead, we see spiralling spending on agency staff while permanent posts remain unfilled. That is not a strategy, it is inefficient spending, and it leaves patients waiting longer and longer.”
He called on the government to urgently act to fix the crisis.
“We need proper staffing, resourcing and investment, alongside a clear strategy to reduce waiting lists. Anything less is simply condemning people to unnecessary pain, suffering and loss of independence. I will continue to put pressure on the government until they face up to their responsibilities and deliver the services the people of Wicklow need and deserve.”