DISABLED children and young adults in Bournemouth and Poole face long waits to start community physiotherapy, a report has revealed.
A review by the Care Quality Commission found the average wait for Poole Hospital was 15 weeks, compared to seven weeks nationally and 3.37 weeks in the rest of Dorset.
The health watchdog’s review presents the views and experiences of disabled children and their families, with survey data from commissioners and acute hospitals for the year ending September 2010.
The CQC said there appeared to be a “significant” gap between the “overwhelmingly negative” experiences of disabled children and their families, and the data supplied by primary care trusts.
Nationally the average wait for powered wheelchairs was three months, compared to six weeks at NHS Bournemouth and Poole and 14 weeks at NHS Dorset.
Bournemouth and Poole was unable to supply average waits for community occupational therapy, but the national average was 14 weeks and Dorset’s 3.5 weeks. The national average wait for speech and language therapy was 12 weeks, and across the two Dorset trusts 9.65 weeks.
Between April and September 2010, nine children were newly referred by NHS Dorset for a short break at Bupa Home Healthcare, Digby Court or Julia’s House.
NHS Bournemouth and Poole could not supply figures.
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