Commenting on the 4.6% rise in accident and emergency activity last year, Julia Scott, CEO of the College of Occupational Therapists said:
"The increasing number of people turning up at accident and emergency departments is simply unsustainable. Hospitals and Ambulance services are struggling to cope, waiting times are rising and sadly, increasingly patients are receiving care which falls short of acceptable standards.
Deploying occupational therapists alongside ambulance services or in A&E departments and Primary Care can cut the number of people who need to visit A&E dramatically and can reduce the number of people admitted into hospital by up to 80%. So we are calling on NHS leaders to rapidly increase the number of Occupational Therapists working at the front line because we know that this would have an huge impact in reducing the unbearable pressure currently being placed on our hospitals."