TDs slam children’s poor mental health support

A REPORT by the Mental Health Commission has confirmed that Cork and Kerry region have the longest waiting list for children requiring mental healthcare services.

‘Behind this grim statistic, there are thousands of children whose mental health struggles continue to be neglected by the State,’ said Social Democrat Leader Holly Cairns.

Parents too, she added, are being forced to cope on their own as young people languish on the waiting list for mental healthcare services and support.

There are more than 4,400 on the waiting list in the nine community health organisations (CHO) nationwide. But the Cork and Kerry region – with 902 young people in need of mental healthcare services – has the longest wait.

Camhs provides assessment and treatment for young people up to 18 years of age who experience moderate or severe mental illness.

Camhs treat depression, problems with food and eating, self-harm, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety, among other difficulties.

This week, the Mental Health Commission published reports for each of the community health organisations of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The report, prepared by a Mental Health Commission inspector Dr Susan Finnerty, not only highlights unacceptably long waiting lists in Cork and Kerry, it also raises serious safety concerns about how Camhs operates in community health organisations.

In Cork and Kerry, the report found that some teams were not operating out of suitable, safe environments where children and young people are assessed and treated.

The report also states that retention and recruitment of staff is a major concern in Cork and Kerry and it cited the fact that there are six vacant consultant posts, covered by telepsychiatry, other team consultant psychiatrists for emergencies, locums, weekend and evening consultant clinics.

Other areas of concern include parents experiencing difficulties trying to access Camhs services; clinical files not being maintained in a safe, coherent way; lack of consultant psychiatrist cover in some areas; and challenges retaining and recruiting staff.

Deputy Cairns said the report was ‘a damning assessment of Camhs’ and urged the government to act on the report’s 49 recommendations.

Deputy Michael Collins (Ind) said the report presented ‘an alarming insight into the ongoing infrastructural and staffing crisis that has become a feature of mental health services both locally and nationally.’ He said the report itself highlights that in West Cork Camhs there is no assigned psychotherapist, nor is there a dietician for eating disorders, or a social worker. 

‘Our speech and language therapist is part-time,’ he added, ‘and there is no team clinical co-ordinator or mental health nurse.’

A spokesperson for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare acknowledged the long waiting lists and apologised for the stress caused. They said intensive work is ongoing involving senior managers and Camhs staff to implement asignificant changes across of its teams.

The spokesperson rejected Deputy Collins’ staffing assessment saying there are currently 12 full-time and one part-time staff working the Camhs services in Dunmanway and Clonakilty.