Funding Boost for CDHB Paediatric Therapy Team

Funding Boost for CDHB Paediatric Therapy Team

The Ministry of Health recently acknowledged Canterbury’s unique regional requirements by granting additional funding to Canterbury District Health Board’s (CDHB) Paediatric Therapy team.

“Christchurch has the highest number of children with disabilities per head of population, which creates obvious challenges for our service,” says Anne Feld, CDHB’s Child Health Nursing Director.

CDHB’s Paediatric Therapy team provides assistance to children aged between 0-16 who have a range of developmental needs, from congenital conditions such as cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome, to autism spectrum disorders and developmental delay. As well as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, the team provides assessment for equipment (including wheelchairs and seating) and housing modifications.

The funding will be used to employ the equivalent of three extra people including an additional physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. The roles are expected to be filled within the next six weeks.

“When you are dealing with children with disabilities, early intervention is vital,” says Anne. “We can achieve better results for our patients if we catch them early, before their developmental problems start to compound. We are delighted the Ministry is providing us with more funding to help us improve access to our services.”

ENDS

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