Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Health and Social Services in Wales – has responded positively to our call to protect children’s therapy services as the health and care services pivot to cope with the latest surge of COVID-19 cases in Wales.
In his response the Minister noted that: “We should continue to provide essential and routine services and […] I do recognise the potential harms in terms of developmental delay and long-term impacts for children and young people.”
Commenting on the Minister’s response, Dai Davies, Professional Practice Lead Wales at RCOT said:
“We welcome Vaughan Gething’s response to our letter asking for assurance that children’s therapy services be maintained during the next phase of the pandemic. Our request was supported by Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, who highlighted that for those children who need it, access to therapies is fundamental to their ability to enjoy their childhood under the UNCRC.
“Vaughan Gething makes it clear that essential and routine services should continue to be provided, and that Health Boards should carry out risk assessments when making judgments about the deployment of staff, including occupational therapists.”
In November 2020, RCOT wrote to the Minister calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that children’s therapists are protected from redeployment during the pandemic.
The full response and our original letter can be found below: