State of the occupational therapy workforce in Wales – June 2024
In this report, we've gathered data through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to local authorities and health boards.
This information helps us understand the current OT landscape, including comparing against the number of registered OTs in 2018 for various local authorities and health boards. We've looked at the number of OTs, vacancies, terms of employment, and the age profiles of professionals.
This provides valuable insights for decision-making and planning to meet evolving healthcare needs.
Local authorities
Staffing and vacancies
The data we gathered provides a comprehensive snapshot of occupational therapists across various local authorities (LAs) in Wales.
Cardiff Council stands out with 26 occupational therapists, of which 16 are in senior care roles and seven are in team management positions. Cardiff also has seven current vacancies, reflecting potential challenges in filling essential positions.
Conversely, some LAs, such as Ceredigion County Council, have fewer occupational therapists, with four in total, and are currently facing six vacancies, highlighting potential staffing shortages.The distribution of occupational therapy roles varies across LAs, with some prioritising senior leadership positions and others focusing on frontline occupational therapy roles. These statistics underscore the disparities in occupational therapy staffing levels and the challenges faced by different LAs in recruiting and retaining qualified occupational therapists.
Read the full report
Age profiles
The age profiles of occupational therapists in various local authorities highlight the diversity within the profession in Wales.
- In Bridgend County Borough Council, occupational therapists are evenly distributed across different age groups, totalling 16 individuals, with the 45-55 age group having the highest representation.
- Similarly, in Caerphilly County Borough Council, occupational therapists show a diverse age range, with Band 6 senior practitioners being the most numerous, totalling 30.
- Cardiff Council's data demonstrates a broad age distribution among occupational therapists, with the 26-35 age group having the highest representation.
- Carmarthenshire County Council's occupational therapists are concentrated in the 36-45 age group, totalling nine individuals.
- Ceredigion County Council shows a smaller workforce, with a total of six occupational therapists across various age groups.
- Conwy County Council's occupational therapists are well-represented across different age groups, totalling 18 individuals.
- Gwynedd Council's data reflects a similar trend, with occupational therapists distributed across various age groups, totalling 18.
- Isle of Anglesey County Council's occupational therapists are concentrated in the 26-35 age group, totalling nine individuals.
- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council's workforce is smaller, with a total of three occupational therapists, primarily in the 26-35 age group.
- Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's data shows a diverse age range among occupational therapists, totalling 20 individuals.
- Newport City Council's occupational therapists are distributed across different age groups, totalling 15 individuals.
- Pembrokeshire County Council's occupational therapists are evenly distributed across different age groups, totalling 18 individuals.
- Powys County Council's occupational therapists are concentrated in the 26-35 age group, totalling 15 individuals.
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's data indicates a diverse age distribution among occupational therapists, totalling 25 individuals.
- Swansea Council's occupational therapists are spread across different age groups, totalling 14 individuals.
- The Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council's occupational therapists are mainly in the 26-35 age group, totalling 15 individuals.
- Torfaen County Borough Council's OTs show a diverse age range, totalling 25 individuals.
- Wrexham County Borough Council's OTs are distributed across different age groups, totalling 24 individuals.
Health boards
Staffing and vacancies
The data outlines the current occupational therapy staffing situation across health boards in Wales, highlighting notable statistics.
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board leads with 225 registered OTs, experiencing 25 vacancies, while also employing 116 unregistered staff supporting occupational therapy services.
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board employs 264.26 OTs, including 54.43 in non-occupational therapy roles, with four vacancies.
- Swansea Bay University Health Board has 243.23 occupational therapists, with 30.82 vacancies, distributed across various occupational therapy bands.
- Hywel Dda University Health Board faces 23.27 vacancies among its 168.19 occupational therapists, while Powys Teaching Health Board, with 47 occupational therapists, has 24.01 vacancies.
- Vacancy rates range across bands, with notable vacancies in Band 6 and Band 8a roles. Additionally, data on longest vacancy periods reveals challenges in filling Band 6 and Band 7 positions, with Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea Bay University Health Board experiencing extended unfilled vacancies.
Age profiles
The age profile data gathered from health boards provides insights into the distribution of occupational therapy staff across different age groups within the health boards in Wales.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board shows a diverse distribution across bands, with Band 6 having the highest representation in the 26-30 age group. In comparison, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board's occupational therapists are spread across various age groups, totalling 299 employees.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board's data showcases a wide age range, with Band 6 having the highest representation in the 31-35 age group. Similarly, Hywel Dda University Health Board's occupational therapists span various age groups, with Band 6 being prominent in the 26-35 age range. Lastly, Powys Teaching Health Board's data reflects a more even distribution across age groups, with a total of 47 occupational therapists.