Forde welcomes action on mental health concerns
A YOUNG father and councillor hopes that the current debate on the Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in County Wexford will transcend party politics, believing that ‘cross party support’ was what was needed.
Cllr Thomas Forde, a primary teacher in Wexford town, believes that 24-hour acute care for Wexford remains the burning issue in the county, stressing that the cuts to services have and will cost lives. He referred to the resignation of Dr Kieran Moore, a psychiatric consultant, from the CAMHS service.
He said: ‘These professionals resigned because they were not enabled to deliver the standard of care that they would want and that people deserve.’
The Sinn Féin councillor had originally tabled a motion calling for an emergency cross party meeting with the HSE for yesterday’s (Monday) meeting but said that an emergency meeting of councillors and TDs had taken place the previous Monday, something he welcomed.
He said: ‘I was told that the decision had already been taken to send that letter ahead of my motion being discussed and I’m glad the Cathaoirleach Keith Doyle took the bull by the horns because we’ve got no time to waste.’
He pointed out that, as it stands, there was no Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the South East, saying that as a primary school teacher he knew the devastating impact a delay in accessing services could have on kids.
Cllr Forde said: ‘This is an extremely serious situation. The recruitment process needs to begin immediately but it may take a long time before staff are in place. It puts all of those people in desperate need of emergency care at severe risk.’
He added: ‘There is no coverage in the South East area for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services when staff are on leave. As a parent and teacher I find it unacceptable that any young person could be left without this important care. If our government really cares about mental health, they need to start delivering the services that the staff, patients and their families are crying out for.’