Our comment on the Education and Training Plan in Wales

Commenting on Health Education and Improvement Wales’ release of the Education and Training Plan for 2026/27, Policy and Public Affairs Lead for Wales at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Paul Smith, said: 

‘The number of university funded places to study occupational therapy have been cut by 35% compared to last year. This is very short-sighted. Reducing the number of learners for coming into the profession will have a significant impact on the workforce in the future.   

‘Demand for occupational therapy is rising across a range of settings, including schools, housing, primary care and local authorities. We need a strong and sustainable education pipeline to meet this demand.   

‘If the number of learners are cut, we risk creating vacancies that cannot be filled, increasing waiting times and, without early intervention, potentially pushing more people into crisis.’