Most Irish physiotherapy departments are operating at 80% of 2007 staffing levels, with some as low as 35%, according to a new survey. Most of the vacancies are due to management’s failure to provide cover for maternity leave, according to the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), which published the report at its conference earlier this month.

IMPACT member and ISCP president Jill Long (pictured) said staff reductions were hampering the profession’s capacity to avoid the need for patients to access expensive acute services. “In a profession that’s predominantly young and female, the non-filling of these posts is having a devastating effect on the services available to patients. For those admitted to hospitals, access to regular physiotherapy can reduce length of stay and enable patients to live active, confident and sociable lives within their communities,” she said.

The survey was carried out among public and voluntary health service physiotherapy managers across Ireland’s acute, community and voluntary services.