A report from The OT Practice highlights the 139% rise in waiting lists since 2019 and suggests reallocating funds from vacant occupational therapy positions.
Occupational therapy provider, The OT Practice has highlighted a 139% increase in waiting lists for occupational therapy services across the UK since 2019.
The white paper – Ending Occupational Therapy Waiting Lists – underscores a growing crisis in social care service delivery and its economic toll with repercussions of delayed occupational therapy care.
“As demand for occupational therapy services continues to outstrip available resources, health and social care leaders must take a proactive, collaborative approach to service delivery,” said Nikki Thompson, executive director at The OT Practice.
The report finds that waiting lists have more than doubled since 2019, with current waiting times for adults averaging 4.6 months. Long waiting times for OT services increase hospital admissions, decrease individual independence, and impact employment and caregiving arrangements, compounding pressure on the health and social care systems.
The report recommends that reallocating funds from vacant occupational therapy positions could clear England’s occupational therapy waiting list backlog, offering a strategic opportunity to maximise local budgets.
