West Cork parents 'frustrated' by delayed access to disability services

More than forty children were on the waiting list for their local Children’s Disability Network Team and had not yet received initial contact from the team

West Cork TD Holly Cairns said she has been contacted by several families “rightly concerned and frustrated" at waiting times to access a range of disability services. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Three-quarters of the children on a waiting list to access a range of disability services in west Cork have been waiting more than four months, newly released figures show.

As of the end of September, 41 children were on the waiting list for their local Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) in the region, and had not yet received initial contact from the team, according to data revealed in response to parliamentary questions submitted by Labour TD Seán Sherlock.

Of these, 30 children were waiting between four and eight months to access services, while the remaining 11 children were waiting less than four months. 

Services include nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and social work, all provided by one CDNT for a specific geographical area.

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) completed reconfiguration of children’s disability services to CDNTs in April of this year, although the west Cork CDNT has been operating since 2013.

These CDNTs were introduced under the Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People Programme (PDS), with the aim of ensuring that all children newly referred will “have timely access to the appropriate services”.

West Cork TD Holly Cairns said she has been contacted by several families “rightly concerned and frustrated at these waiting times”.

“We all know the importance of early interventions for children with complex needs and to have them waiting for just the initial contact is completely unacceptable,” Ms Cairns said. 

We have discussed this and similar issues on the Oireachtas Disability Matters Committee where we are pushing for the allocation of the necessary resources.

“Staffing levels are key here, and this has been a particular focus of mine to get the correct amount of staff working on the ground. 

"It is essential that the Government address the historic underinvestment in this area,” she said.

“It is the objective of the CDNTs to ensure that all children newly referred will have timely access to the appropriate services,” said Majella Daly, head of Disability Services with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare.

“However the CDNTs have experienced significant challenges. 

"Challenges include higher than predicted caseloads on each CDNT; reduction in service provision due to Covid; the HSE cyber-attack, as well as finite and limited resources assigned to each network. 

"The HSE and the lead agencies managing the CDNTs remain committed to ensure a safe, quality, and timely service to children with disability and their families and continue to advocate for additional resources for the team,” she said.

The HSE National Disability Office is undertaking a national CDNT workforce planning process, commencing with a CDNT staff census in the coming weeks.

The HSE said this will allow for a meaningful allocation of new development posts in the HSE National Service Plan 2022, based on current staffing levels and population needs data.