CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised that some children will not receive the treatment they need amid a shortage of paediatric physiotherapists in Dublin.

The physiotherapy department in CHI at Temple Street is currently only providing an emergency service “due to unprecedented and unplanned staffing challenges”, The Journal has learned.

There are also a number of unfilled physio vacancies at Crumlin children’s hospital and in community settings.

As a result, staff have warned there could be a delay in diagnosing certain issues and making referrals.

“I don’t know what the HSE wants because we’re not going to see the same observations, that’s not humanly possible. We’ve all been trying and hanging on and delivering,” one physio said.

“We’re not going to pick up on problems. [Children] will be referred later. It’s a mess, they can’t pretend it has no knock-on effect.”

An email sent to staff at Temple Street on 20 August states: “Due to unprecedented and unplanned staffing challenges the Physiotherapy Department are operating an emergency service. This reduced service will be in place for at least the next 4 weeks.”

The email, seen by The Journal, lists the types of patients who are being prioritised at present.

This includes children who require treatment after certain procedures, children who have a brain injury, children who have been newly diagnosed with spina bifida (SB) and children who are at risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

“All other referrals will be triaged and waitlisted accordingly,” the email adds.

‘A body blow’

One paediatric physio who works in Dublin said she and her colleagues have been under immense pressure for the last year. Some physios are doing the work of two people and the situation is not sustainable, she added.

Staff thought more physios would be hired when a recruitment embargo was lifted by the HSE in July. However, they were subsequently informed that roles which were vacant at the end of 2023 essentially no longer exist.

As previously reported by The Journal, this happened across various sectors of the health service.

“When I tell you that [the freeze lifting] was the light at the end of the tunnel keeping me going, for them to turn around and say, ‘actually, those jobs are gone’, it was just an absolute body blow for us all,” the physio told us.

It’s just infuriating. It’s really genuinely enraging, and it just feels so disrespectful to the work that we do. People are angry.

The woman said some children require “highly specialised” care that can only be provided by physios trained in certain areas.

“It’s not just about the staff numbers either, it’s about the expertise too.”

The staff member is aware of several vacant physio posts at children’s hospitals across Dublin, as well as in community services nationwide.

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‘Patient safety is being maintained’

A spokesperson for Children’s Health Ireland (which operates children’s hospitals in Dublin) confirmed that the physio department in Temple Street has been operating a “reduced service” since 20 August.

CHI did respond to specific queries about the number of vacant physio posts in its hospitals.

When asked about the concerns raised by staff at Temple Street and Crumlin, the CHI spokesperson said: “Patient safety is being maintained by prioritising based on clinical need.

We appreciate the dedication of staff who are demonstrating great flexibility and commitment to our patients.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the HSE said the organisation is “committed to delivering efficient, high-quality physiotherapy services to eligible service users, particularly children and young people”.

The spokesperson said that each of the six HSE health regions and each national service is “being provided with its own specified number of [whole-time equivalent staff members] and they can, within that approved number, replace, recruit and prioritise posts”.

They added that community-based care is “currently undergoing substantial reform” in line with Sláintecare (a 10-year plan aiming to improve the health service).

“This involves re-structuring how services are delivered to ensure that care is provided in an equitable, efficient and integrated way through newly established community healthcare networks and health regions.”