This December, the piloting of the initiative will be launched in the Basic Neighborhood Zones and Granadilla. Until now, the pediatrician referred the patient to his mental health unit for prior evaluation.
Professionals from the ministries of Health, Education, Universities, Culture and Sports and Social Rights, Equality, Diversity and Youth of the Government of the Canary Islands held the VI Early Care Technical Commission in which issues related to the operation, activity and services provided by the Early Care Units (UAT) that are currently operating in the archipelago; a total of eight that have started operating since 2020.
During the work meeting it was announced that during this month of December, the referral circuit from Primary Care Pediatrics to the corresponding UAT will come into operation in the Basic Neighborhood Health Zones, in Gran Canaria, and Granadilla, in Tenerife. , without the need for prior assessment by reference Mental Health professionals. This new circuit will make it possible to streamline patient care and, after subsequent evaluation, progressively plan referrals from other health centers.
Three more new UATs
In this sense, it was also reported that it is planned to complete the three pending UATs (the first in Lanzarote and the third in Tenerife and Gran Canaria) throughout the first four months of 2023, in accordance with the budgets already included for 2023.
Furthermore, at the technical meeting it was stated that, given the volume of requests sent to the UAT, a reinforcement of the number of professionals most in demand in these devices, such as speech therapists and occupational therapists, is being prepared.
More than 1.000 consultations
In this VI Early Care Technical Commission, it was also reported that throughout this year and until last November, around 1.000 interconsultations have been carried out with the UATs that are operating in the archipelago.
Eight UATs in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands currently have eight UATs in operation of the eleven that are planned until 2023, as stated in the Early Care Law and in compliance with the commitment made by the Government of the Canary Islands at the beginning of the current legislature.
The first two units to start their activity were those in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, in July 2020, to which Fuerteventura was added in June 2021 and La Palma in December of the same year. In addition, in the first half of 2022 the second units in Tenerife and Gran Canaria were incorporated and in the second half of this year those in El Hierro and La Gomera came into operation.
On the other hand, and in accordance with the planned plan, the UAT of Lanzarote and the third units of the capital islands, scheduled for 2023, are pending to start their activity.
Care for developmental disorders
Early Care offers care to boys and girls from zero to six years old with developmental disorders or risk of suffering from them, and to their families and environment, so that the highest level of personal development and social integration can be achieved.
Interventions in the early years of childhood can be decisive to prevent and respond to all possible needs, whether cognitive, emotional, social, sensory or motor.
