Ireland

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Patient Access to Physiotherapy or Physical Therapy Services / Entry Point

In general, if you wish to access physiotherapy services as a public patient, you need a referral from your family doctor (GP), public health nurse or hospital. You can also refer yourself to a community physiotherapist.

You will have to pay for physiotherapy services if you attend a physiotherapist in a private capacity however, you may be able to claim tax relief for medical expenses incurred by you whether you, your spouse, your dependent child or a dependent relative attend a physiotherapist privately.

There is direct access to physiotherapy in Ireland. The physiotherapy services are determined by the profession and the physiotherapist determines the clinical intervention of physiotherapy him/herself. Physiotherapy is available both public and private physiotherapy centres.

In the Republic of Ireland the titles of physiotherapist and physical therapist cannot be used interchangeably because a group calling themselves ‘physical therapists’ are not physical therapists/physiotherapists as defined by WCPT. These physical therapists are not eligible for membership of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists and are not permitted to work in the National Public Health Service in the Republic of Ireland.

Therapist Preparation

      Degree/Credentialing

Education matters are the responsibility of the Irish Society's Standing committee of Education Committee and specialist working parties all of whom report to the Council of the Irish Society which is the decision making body. Additionally it has an Accreditation committee which evaluates the educational programmes and ensures that they meet the standards set by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. Physiotherapy education in Ireland is a four-year honours degree course. All graduates have access to Masters Degrees and Doctorates. 

Also contact the Schools of Physiotherapy for their student information booklet which gives full details of entry requirements:

University College Dublin
School of Physiotherapy
Bachelor of Physiotherapy
National University of Ireland
Admissions Office, Belfield, Dublin 4
Phone: (01) 269 3244 Fax: (01) 269 4409
http://www.ucd.ie/

Trinity College Dublin
School of Physiotherapy
B.Sc. (Hons) Physiotherapy
Admissions Office, Trinity College, Dublin 2
Phone (01) 608 1532
http://www.tcd.ie/

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Department of Physiotherapy
B.Sc. (Physiotherapy)
Admissions Office, RCSI, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
Phone (01) 402 2156
http://www.rcsi.ie/

University of Limerick
Department of Physiotherapy
School of Health Sciences
College of Science
University of Limerick, Limerick
Phone (061) 234232
http://www.physiotherapy.ul.ie/ 

      Specialization

Physiotherapists can gain advanced knowledge by applying to special training organized by ISCP (The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists) or by applying to Postgraduate Diploma training organized by universitie.

Professional Associations

The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists is the professional body representing over 3000 members in Ireland. The Society was founded in 1983 following a number of developments in the profession including the establishment of a university degree qualification. Over the years there has been an increasing public demand for the services of the Chartered Physiotherapist and it is the role of the Society to ensure that this demand is met by the highest standards of care.

ISCP

Information about the Patient Community

Total population: 4515000. 

Life expectancy at birth m/f (years): 77/82
Probability of dying between 15 and 60 years m/f (per 1 000 population): 97/57
Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2009): 4,005 

Infant mortality rate (probability of dying between birth and age 1 per 1000 live births): 3

Under-five mortality rate (probability of dying by age 5 per 1000 live births): 4

Deaths due to tuberculosis among HIV-negative people (per 100 000 population): 0.49 [0.43-0.58] 

SDR all causes, all ages, per 100000 - 591
SDR, diseases of circulatory system, all ages per 100000 - 192
SDR, external cause injury and poison, all ages per 100000 - 41
SDR, malignant neoplasms, all ages per 100000 - 182 

Social/Cultural Influences

Significant differences in death rates between social classes were highlighted in the Institute of Public Health’s Inequalities in Mortality report. Overall the findings showed that between 1989 and 1998:

• The death rate for all causes in the lowest occupational class was 100 to 200% higher than the rate in the highest occupational class.
• Differences in mortality rates were even greater for some causes of death.

When it comes to health and illness, significant inequalities between socio-economic groups were revealed in an Institute of Public Health all-Ireland report on social capital and perceived health which found that:

• People with no formal education qualifications were half as likely as those with third-level education to say they had excellent or very good health.
• Those who were unemployed were a third less likely than those in employment to have a high general mental health score.
• People with the lowest incomes were half as likely as those with the highest incomes to be very satisfied with their health or to have a very good quality of life.

More recently marked social gradients in self-rated health across the island were documented in a large survey of patients of general practices on the island of Ireland. This study found that household income levels were strongly linked to health with similar steep gradients in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In addition to worrying differences in death rates highlighted by the all-Ireland mortality report, recent analyses of the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions in Ireland revealed significant inequalities in health and illness between socio-economic groups in 2004:

• 85% of those who were ‘non-poor’ reported good or very good health, whereas this was true of only 66% of those experiencing income poverty.
• Almost half (47%) of those who were consistently poor (i.e. in income poverty and experiencing deprivation) and 38% of those who were income poor reported having a chronic illness, compared with 23% of the general population.
  
• 11% of men in the highest income decile had a chronic illness. This rose to 20% for those in the middle of the income range, and to 42% for those in the second lowest decile.

The health of some socially excluded groups is even more severely affected. Travellers in Ireland live on average 10 to 12 years less than the general population. Homeless people are vulnerable to ill health and premature death. In 2006 for instance, 55 homeless people who had been in contact with Simon Communities services died prematurely.

Delivery of Care

• Is delivery of care provided in a timely manner?
• Special methods? Home health etc
  

Type of Health System

• Is it a national health system with universal access?
  

Payment System

The insurance cover for physiotherapy is paid both through the national health care system and privately the patient.

In the public service treatment is free following referral from a consultant or a GP. You will have to go on a waiting list.

There is no standard fee in private practice due to competition authority. For example, fees can be dictated by:

• the location of practice;
• whether it is an initial or follow-up visit;
• the duration of treatment;
• the prescription and supply of specialist materials e.g. orthotics (customised insoles used in the treatment of biomechanical malalignment).