More than 3,000 additional therapists will be required by the health sector over the next 15 years, according to a report published yesterday.
An additional 1,328 chartered physiotherapists, 875 occupational therapists and 985 speech and language therapists will be required if adequate services are to be provided. This represents a four-fold increase in speech and language therapists, a doubling of the number of physiotherapists and a 150 per cent increase in the number of occupational therapists.
There are almost 200 vacancies in the three professions. The projected needs include current vacancies, additional requirements, quantitative trends and provision for improved services.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, said the situation was not a consequence of today's tight labour market but rather the result of a structural shortfall in the number of training places in the professions.
The report, prepared for the Department of Health and Children by Dr Peter Bacon and associates, concluded that an increase in the number of training places was required. He recommended an annual increase of 75 course places for both speech and language therapy and occupational therapy and 25 for physiotherapy. This would almost double the 180 places at present available.
Dr Bacon said current training was a homogenous product for all three professions. "It's a four-year university degree, take it or leave it," he said. All training was provided in Dublin.
Mr Martin said a broader geographical distribution of training provision would be desirable to provide a balanced distribution to training. The Higher Education Authority is preparing a "call for proposals" for third-level institutions to respond to training needs identified in the study. The report also recommended that the scope for fast-tracking qualifications should be examined. Graduates in relevant disciplines might enter a fast-track process, whereby they would qualify as a therapist in two or three years.
The report said the Department of Health and Children should review the career structure within these professions to ensure the health sector could deal with the increased placement level. A review of the training system should be undertaken and appropriate two-year courses made available to enable assistant therapy grades to be expanded.
In the short term, it could be useful to recruit from overseas. Mr Martin said: "Increasing the flow of therapists from abroad will require action to minimise the length of time taken to validate foreign qualifications." At present, the process takes two to three months. "I am therefore requesting the therapy professions to examine with my Department the scope for temporary validation of qualifications in order to facilitate employers in recruiting very scarce therapist personnel to meet the urgent needs of the health service at this time."
A system of professional registration should be introduced across these professions, according to the report. This should be undertaken in a manner that separates registration from the professional representative bodies.
Although costing was not included in the report, Mr Martin said he regarded the proposals as "quite realistic and modest. They are in no way excessive."