Disabled people forced to wait a year to see occupational therapist

DISABLED people are waiting up to a year to be assessed by an occupational therapist (OT) before they even can get approval for vital work on their homes, it was claimed yesterday.

The issue was highlighted by Cllr Jerry Mullally (Lab) at a meeting of Cork County Council’s northern division yesterday when he claimed that despite a standard letter saying OT assessments would take place within 24 weeks, this was not happening in many cases.

Mr Mullally said he contacted the HSE (Health Service Executive) on the issue, but got little satisfaction. He asked council officials, who are involved in administering Disabled Person’s Grants, what they could do about it.