Thousand of children facing long delays for health care assessment

THOUSANDS of sick children are facing lengthy waits for an Assessment of Need, beyond the targeted times set, new figures reveal.

The data for all Community Health Care Organisation areas across the country show that 3,768 children are awaiting the completion of their assessment beyond the set six-month timeline. Another 1,076 are waiting beyond the required three months for commencement of Stage 2.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD received the figures from the HSE following a Dáil Question.

The People Before Profit Dáil deputy said it was ‘utterly disgraceful and a shocking dereliction of duty’ by the Government and the HSE who had obligations to thousands of the most vulnerable of our children.

He said: ‘Parents in my constituency have spoken of crying down the phone to HSE School Age Teams, begging them to assess their children, many who have been waiting one, two and even three years for Multi-Disciplinary Assessment of Need. How can this Government stand over such shocking negligence in the care of children who need supports in education and therapeutic supports?’

A spokesman for the HSE said it is aware of the numbers of children waiting for AON and therapy services, and in an effort to address the delays in this system, each Community Healthcare Organisation is implementing AON improvement plans.

A Department of Health spokesperson said there have been significant yearon-year increases in the number of children applying both for an Assessment of Need and for disability services generally, which has led to the extended waiting periods currently being experienced by children and their families.

They added: in order to improve the Assessment of Need process and ensure that children receive an intervention as soon as possible, the HSE has developed a new Standard Operating Procedure for the Assessment of Need process.