Health Select Committee Chair warns of cuts to ‘non-priority services’ such as Occupational Therapy
The committee, chaired by Conservative former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, reported that government's plans to reorganise the NHS in England are hindering efforts to cut costs by "salami-slicing" services for short-term savings.
“It is not a report about the bill. By far the biggest concern is not to do with the bill, it’s the ability of the system to get on and deliver the efficiency gain.” He said the government and Department of Health should be “making it clear the priority facing the system is to change the way care is delivered, to deliver more integrated care...”
Also speaking on the Today programme on Radio 4 Stephen Dorrell said “There are too many examples of areas where short-term expedients are being exploited… operations are being stopped and non-priority services, which often means non-headline grabbing services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy are being cut to achieve short-term savings.”
The College has had a number of meetings with members of the Health Select Committee and produced briefings on the areas of concern to occupational therapists for Stephen Dorrell. The College is pleased that such a senior MP has recognised the challenges facing the profession.
To listen to the full Radio 4 interview visit the BBC website.
COT responded to Stephen Dorrell’s comments in a statement to the BBC:
We are hearing reports of Occupational Therapy posts being downgraded, posts frozen or deleted and Occupational Therapists being asked to take on extra work. For many it is the fear of cuts that is leading to low morale and uncertainty in the workplace.
Occupational Therapy cannot be seen as a non-priority service when it is making a vast contribution to preventative, patient-centred care. Occupational Therapy is playing a major role in saving money for the NHS and Local Authorities by keeping people out of hospital and residential care and supporting them to stay safe, independent and healthy in their own homes. Occupational Therapists are key to integration and are emerging as leaders in reablement which is a crucial way of minimising costs to health and social care.
We want to see an NHS in England that includes and recognises Occupational Therapists as essential members of the multidisciplinary team. Occupational Therapists need to be recognised for their contribution to NHS, as much as Doctors, Nurses, and other Allied Healthcare professionals.
Read the Health Select Committee’s report here.
