Launceston's John L Grove Rehabilitation Unit facing 'critical' occupational therapist shortage

Almost five months on, the 57-year-old is up walking again and is preparing to go home - and hopefully back to work.

His recovery has been largely credited with the treatment he received from occupational therapists at Launceston General Hospital's John L Grove Rehabilitation Unit.

However, those services are now at risk of being lost - the result of what unions say is a failure by the Health Department to recruit new workers to the state.

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On Wednesday, the Health and Community Services Union state branch launched a campaign aimed at highlighting the "ongoing and chronic service shortfalls" it says are impacting the state's North.

John L Grove senior occupational therapist Rebecca Rourke, who worked with Mr Bowen throughout his recovery, said there were simply not enough OTs in the North to meet demand.

"Unfortunately ... we have been working for the last two-and-a-half years to try and increase our occupational therapy staff [levels] in the LGH," she said.

"However, that has been a very difficult thing to do. Management has been really supportive in trying to recruit and support the existing staff.

"However, we haven't got enough OTs to fill the positions we have here in the hospital."

Occupational therapists treat people through the therapeutic use of everyday activities, aimed at helping patients to recover, improve and maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.

They also play a vital role in getting patients out of hospital sooner, subsequently taking pressure of the acute sector.

Mr Bowen said that without the help from the OT team at John L Grove, he might never have been able to get out a wheelchair.

"I am still in the game," he said.

"They asked me what my aim was, and I said 'to get up and walk again'. I've done that, so I've got to be happy.

"Without them [OTs] there will be a lot more people who don't do anything. They will be in wheelchairs a lot longer, maybe forever."

A 2019 labour market report from the Education, Skills and Employment Department rated Tasmania as having a shortage of occupational therapists.

Based on a survey of employers who had advertised positions between 2014 and 2019, it found those recruiting occupational therapists in Tasmania were unable to fill the majority of their vacancies.

This included public and private hospitals, aged care facilities and private practices, with 0.7 applicants per vacancy and only 0.5 suitable applicants per vacancy.

The report found only 32 per cent of vacancies were filled, with about 30 per cent of applicants considered unsuitable by employers due to a lack of required experience.

"The majority of employers reported difficulties attracting suitable applicants for vacancies in Tasmania," the report read.

"Employers noted the perception that Tasmania offers limited opportunities for career development. In addition, there is no undergraduate training available in Tasmania for occupational therapists."

HACSU senior industrial organiser Lucas Digney said the situation had deteriorated further since 2019, when OTs at the LGH had to advise management that services would be completely withdrawn from a number of units and wards in the hospital, and a limited service would be provided elsewhere, due to an inability to meet demand.

Mr Digney said the value of allied health professionals such as occupational therapists had been ignored by the Health Department for too long.

"Obviously doctors and nurses are vital to our health system," he said.

"But allied health professionals are just as vital and for a long time they have been the poor third cousin to doctors and nurses - particularly when it coms to recruitment strategies and long-term plans for workforce prep.

"This has come about because of the failure to recruit suitably qualified employees, and that's been a problem that the [Health] Department has known about for at least two years.

"That will culminate in the next couple of weeks with services needing to be withdrawn from the John L Grove Centre - the long stay rehabilitation centre in Northern Tasmania."

Currently, there is only one OT servicing the three medical wards at the LGH. Now, Ms Rourke said the flow on affects were being felt within the rehabilitation unit, with admitted patients waiting between six and nine months waiting for care.

"We are having to reduce the amount of occupational therapy we offer, which means a lot of patients are not going to have access to OT, or are going to be waiting longer periods, which is increasing lengths of [hospital] stay," she said.

"We would really like support in getting more occupational therapy positions available ... if we are able to recruit staff then we are able to service the facility better, with better outcomes for our patients and their families."

A 2019 report from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency showed there were 312 occupational therapists whose principal place of practice was Tasmania.

It also showed there had been a steady increase of OTs in the state, with 309 as at March 2018, 291 as at March 2017 and 283 as at March 2016.

Through its campaign, Mr Digney said HACSU would be campaigning for at least three additional OT positions to be filled at the John L Grove Unit, along with services being maintained at a level per head of capita equal to what's offered across Australia.

"At the current time, they are well below that average."

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff and the Health Department were contacted for comment.

Mr Rockliff said there were no plans to downgrade services at John L Grove.

"The Tasmanian government recognises the importance of taking a collaborative approach to implementing solutions to health challenges," he said.

"That's why HACSU have been included in today's [Wednesday] Health Staff Recruitment Taskforce meeting which is been held for the first time.

"The taskforce brings together a range of health stakeholders to make recommendations on strategies to support the recruitment of a more stable and permanent workforce."

The government has committed to employing up to 280 FTE additional staff across the health system, including allied health professionals.

However a specific number for additional occupational therapists has not been set.

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