28,000 Patients Face Wait To See a Physiotherapist

More than 28,000 people are waiting for their initial appointment with a physiotherapist in Scotland, according to the first ever official survey. The unprecedented investigation found patients can face delays of up to a year for their first treatment session. Queues of 12 months or more to see other health professionals including dieticians, chiropodists and speech and language therapists were also recorded. Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Health Minister, called for health boards to examine therapy services in light of the information and drive waiting times down.

Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, policy officer in Scotland for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: “We’re concerned patients might be waiting for such periods before seeing a physiotherapist. Early intervention is so often essential in restoring function. We want progress to address patient need.”

Hundreds of physiotherapy students and graduates from across the UK are expected to gather in London today to protest at the lack of NHS jobs for newly qualified staff.
Physiotherapists fall into the category of health service staff known as allied health professionals (AHPs). The census of AHP waiting lists was conducted last September. Details have just been published.