Murphy calls for 24/7 mental health service
DEPUTY TELLS DAIL OF CRISIS IN SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
SUICIDAL Wexford teenagers are being passed from hospital to hospital and are ending up being cared for by their parents at home due to the temporary closure of Child & Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Co Wexford to new patients.
Addressing the Dáil on Thursday, Independent TD Verona Murphy raised the spectre of a crisis for vulnerable people suffering mental health difficulties during the current health crisis, calling for an emergency 24/7 service to be set up in the county.
She said there is no mental health centre fully open in Co Wexford during the coronavirus, as Arden House never opened in Wexford town despite assurances from Fine Gael that it would, and the rooms in Slaney House are deemed to be too small to ensure social distancing.
Deputy Murphy cited the deaths by suicide of two teenage girls from south Wexford in March to highlight the severity of the crisis facing parents and their teenage children.
She said: ‘Covid-19 has the potential to take over the entire ICU capacity and maybe even the entirety of our hospitals, and while I do commend the policies and recommendations being implemented, it cannot be at the expense of our essential services. There are many suffering with other illnesses such as cancer and mental health. We cannot allow a situation to develop where the second line effects are more detrimental because of frontline actions.’
She said: ‘ In Wexford, an election promise to open Arden House, the proposed new mental health facility, didn’t happen. The current facility of Slaney House, its rooms are too small they have had to close because they are unable to meet the recommendations of social distancing during the coronavirus and are only dealing with current patients over the phone on a 9 to 5 timeframe.’
She said she was contacted the previous Friday by a Wexford mother in a very distressed state.
‘She called to say her 16-yearold son had told her he wanted to kill himself. As it was out-ofhours, she called CareDoc who advised her to go to A&E at Wexford General Hospital, but to ring ahead because of the virus. A&E advised her that they had no one to deal with her son and advised that she got straight to the Department of Health in Waterford, again advising that she ring ahead because of the virus. The Department of Psychiatry responded that under no circumstances was she to present with the child, that they were virtually in lockdown and that Wexford General had a duty of care. She spent all night watching her son to ensure he stayed alive, which was her only option as there were no mental health services available to him.’
Deputy Murphy said there has been a crisis in the mental health services in Co Wexford for some time, pointing out that two teenagers died by suicide over recent weeks.
‘Last Sunday saw a beautiful 18-year-old girl laid to rest who died by suicide. Her friend, who was laid to rest only a week before, was 17 and died by suicide. Their very vulnerable friends were unable to attend the funeral to say goodbye because of Covid. I know we are in unprecedented times but for parents and families it’s unprecedented when a child takes their own life. Mental health was a big issue before the election, it’s now an even bigger issue.’
She said: ‘More people’s mental health is being compromised due to poor domestic situations exasperated by staying at home, leading to increased domestic violence incidents and those who are worried with other life pressures such as no jobs with bills to pay and those already within the mental health system.’
Deputy Murphy said politicians have spoken at length about how important it is for people to go for walks during the coronavirus, adding: ‘walks don’t deal with mental health problems or self harming or suicidal tenancies; psychiatrists do.’
She called on the Government to listen to consultant paediatric psychiatrist Kieran Moore, who says we now have to deal with the fact that children who are normally attend CAMHS, go to A&E. ‘It is now a matter of urgency that the HSE set up an emergency service at which all outpatient psychiatry and CAMHS staff must work differently and be available on rota 24/7 basis to deal with patients directly, as required. Mental health is like all other medical services; it cannot be shut down. We do not need another increase in deaths in other illness areas because of Covid-19. I am here today because I can’t get answers to these questions. The lack of accountability leads to a denial of citizen’s rights.’