A report out (11th November) by UNISON shows that Scotland’s
occupational therapists are struggling to maintain the level of service their
patients need in light of budget cuts and staffing shortages.
Those surveyed in the report – Under Pressure: Scotland’s occupational
therapists speak out – said they had huge concerns about the impact cuts are
having on the service. An overwhelming majority (82%) reported increased
workloads, 60% reported having to cope with reduced members of staff and almost
half (48%) reported funding cuts.
There were recurring themes among the concerns:
assessments being overruled because of resource pressures; and failure by
management to replace absent colleagues, specifically for maternity leave
which, given the virtually all-female composition of the workforce, is more
common than in many other groups of staff. When asked if they regularly worked
more than their contracted hours 60% of respondents said they did – an extra
five hours a week was the average. While the majority (58%) of respondents
reported their standard of living had dropped in the last 3-4 years.
Some of the views
included:
·
“Staffing has gone down in the last few years
but the same level of service is expected. You begin to dread someone saying
they are pregnant because you know you will be left really short during mat
leave which is an unpleasant feeling because you want to be pleased for
people’s good news.”
·
“Senior managers are now scrutinising OT
recommendations and refusing some, despite a qualified OT having made the
clinical decision that equipment or adaptations are required to meet the
client’s needs.”
·
“Everything costs more but pay doesn’t match
the increase. I have to be careful to only buy essentials when shopping.”
Sandra Dee Masson, an occupational therapist and vice chair of UNISON
Scotland’s Health Committee, said: “Occupational therapy plays a vital role and
yet isn’t taken into account when planning services and looking forward to
patient care. Failing to properly utilise occupational therapists in the
planning process completely undermines the effectiveness of change, there are
instances where patients are discharged from hospital with inadequate OT
consideration which results in readmission.
“Better
investment in and coordination with occupational therapists would not only
improve the patient journey, but it would improve outcomes, deliver better
value for public money and improve the working lives of a dedicated group of
workers who are very definitely under pressure.”
Dave Watson, UNISON’s
head of bargaining and campaigns, said: “The picture that emerges from this
report is one of a dedicated but frustrated workforce wanting to deliver a
service but finding it increasingly difficult to do so. Pressures on budgets
and changes to service delivery mean they are increasingly unable to deliver a
service to the standard of which they are capable. Workforce demand is
increasing while the workforce itself is diminishing.
“This is played out
against a backdrop of the majority of the workforce finding that their own
personal circumstances are becoming more difficult as inflation and minimal or
absent pay rises eat away at the value of their wages.”
