Manorhamilton Children waiting months for vital physio services

Cllr Mary Bohan proposed that the council call on the Minister for Health and the HSE to immediately provide adequate resources for services for children in Leitrim.
At this month's Manorhamilton Municipal District meeting the Fianna Fail councillor stated that with “unprecedented amounts of money going to the HSE across the country and we don't know if this is a shortage of staff or what is the cause of it.”
Cllr Bohan stressed there were substantial waiting lists when it came to getting access to speech therapy.
“I've had a number of parents in touch with me about it. When they do eventually get an appointment and the child is making progress and then someone is off sick, someone is moved etc. and there is no one to cover them and they actually lose that bit of progress they've made and have to wait again for months to get another appointment.
“The crucial thing about speech therapy is continuation of it once it starts and that they build on each bit of progress made.”
She said one parent was waiting six months to get her child back into speech therapy and described it as "inexcusable".
She said that there is no physio in place at present for the child development team in Leitrim and there are extensive waiting lists.
“You have to get an assessment first and one parent was very distressed because she got called for the assessment but then had to wait for months again for the appointment. Early intervention is needed for children and they don't seem to be getting it.”
Cllr Bohan concluded that “across the board, the HSE needs to really, really get active in this area and we called on the HSE to streamline the service or if necessary, call on the Minister for Health, to provide more funding for this service.”
Cathaoirleach Cllr Justin Warnock supported the motion saying “there is an awful neglect on the most vulnerable people in our society; it's not good enough.”
Cllr Felim Gurn noted that an adult had contacted him to say they are waiting two years for physiotherapy and described it as “a ridiculous situation.”