CAOT-BC Response: Shortage of occupational therapists in BC leads to a six month wait for critical health care services for Surrey resident

The current shortage of occupational therapists (OTs) is already directly impacting health care delivery to British Columbians. Rick S., a Surrey resident who lives with mobility issues following a spinal cord injury, has told CAOT-BC that ‘he has been waiting for an assessment by an OT since December 10, 2018’. With the required documentation submitted by his family doctor in December, and no assessment scheduled to date, Rick will be waiting at least another three months for an OT to provide the appropriate wheelchair or scooter to allow him to effectively access his community. Waiting over six months for something so fundamental to daily life is unacceptable. “As someone living with a spinal cord injury, I don’t know why this has to take such a long time; it’s very frustrating” says Rick.

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists – British Columbia Chapter (CAOT-BC) is disappointed with the BC government’s lack of follow-through and funding to provide additional OT training seats in their 2019 Budget. While the support to improve mental health care and team-based primary care is promising, the budget falls short in ensuring an adequate supply of critical health team members such as occupational therapists to meet the demands of these necessary services.

“The key area of concern for CAOT-BC is the lack of funding for more training seats at our sole program in the province. With only 48 seats, the University of British Columbia occupational therapy program at the Vancouver campus is the smallest English-speaking program in Canada. Without an increase, we simply do not have enough OTs to meet the current care needs of British Columbians, let alone the increased demand that will come with the government’s new strategies for health care delivery” says Tanya Fawkes-Kirby, CAOT-BC Managing Director. “This shortage will limit the government’s ability to implement effective team-based primary care, innovative mental health care, quality seniors’ care, and rehabilitation for ICBC customers under the new care-focused model.”

Extensive waitlists have been a common theme in health care access in BC and they will remain so without appropriate workforce considerations.  People with chronic illness or disabilities cannot afford to wait months to access occupational therapists. Their health depends on being able to access their community, go to school or work, and maintain social relationships. CAOT-BC has been calling for increased training of occupational therapist in BC since 2012 to address workforce issues such as inadequate supply, geographic distribution, and the needs of interdisciplinary teams. In order to begin to meet the current demand, we are calling for a doubling in the number of occupational therapists trained in the province from 48 to 96.

The BC government's goal is "to deliver accessible and responsive health care services guided by the needs of patients". The theme of Budget 2019 is "Making Life Better" for British Columbians but it fell short on funding the necessary health team members such as OTs. Consequently, the high quality, innovative, and cost-effective care that OTs provide remains unavailable to British Columbians like Rick.

About Occupational Therapy
OTs are regulated health professionals that improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians by creating client-centred solutions that help them participate more fully in activities that are important to their everyday lives. OTs work as valued members in health teams that support people with a variety of physical, mental, or cognitive conditions in their homes, communities, hospitals, workplaces, and schools. Occupational therapy interventions improve lives and save money across the age span in all aspects of society. By considering the individual in his or her environments, an OT is able to determine the skills required to maximize an individual’s potential to participate and thrive in their daily lives.

Contact:
Tanya Fawkes-Kirby
Managing Director, CAOT-BC
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
1-800-434-2268 ext. 265
tfkirby@caot.ca