Dáil told of ‘intolerable wait’ for child mental health appointments
A CHILD psychiatrist travels to Wexford from Galway every weekend to provide cover because for the past six months there has been no child psychiatrist in Wexford, which has a population of 150,000, Fianna Fáil Deputy James Browne told the Dáil.
More than 2,500 children are now waiting for a first mental health appointment for and almost 300 of them have been waiting more than a year for first assessments.
‘This is an intolerable wait for children to see specialists,’ he said.
‘It is a scandal that children and young people are waiting so long for treatment. The failure to give people with mental illnesses the timely help they need is irreparably damaging their lives.
‘The conditions within which the CAMHS staff work in are horrific. They are so bad, they in part led to the last child psychiatrist in Wexford leaving. There have been endless false promises about a new facility. The situation is regrettably similar in many other parts of the country.’
Speaking during a debate on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) he said long waits for access to necessary mental health supports can be deeply distressing for people. From childhood to later life, it is vital that mental health support is available for children and young people and their families.
‘I want to put these waiting times into context,’ he said. ‘In the UK, there is a new guaranteed maximum four-week waiting time for children with more complex problems to access National Health Service, NHS. Recently, there was outrage in Scotland that delays for access to CAMHS had extended to 18 weeks. In Ireland, the wait can be over 12 months.’
It is an absolute scandal, he said, that non-qualified specialists are working as consultant psychiatrists. ‘Children are still being admitted to adult wards in breach of their human rights because there are not sufficient beds in the system. Many of the beds that are there are not operational throughout the year.
‘Children with autism cannot get the mental health care they need. Only 12 whole-time equivalent staff in the whole country work in the mental health disability sector.’
Speaking during the same debate, Independent Deputy
IN THE UK, THERE IS A NEW GUARANTEED MAXIMUM FOUR WEEK WAITING TIME. IN IRELAND THE WAIT CAN BE OVER 12 MONTHS
Mick Wallace said it was nearly a year since Dr. Kieran Moore resigned from his position as consultant child psychiatrist in CAMHS in Wexford and there is still no replacement.
‘He specifically cited the working conditions in the CAMHS facility at Slaney House, Wexford, as reason for his resignation,’ he said.
‘We understood in September that the new CAMHS facility at Arden House would be open in a matter of weeks. I am unsure how we expect to attract consultant child psychiatrist to replace Dr. Moore if we have not improved the working conditions that he cited as the reason for his own resignation.’