HSE keeping Kerry parents in dark over drugs scandal
NONE of the families at the centre of the Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) scandal have been told if their children are among those who suffered ‘significant harm’.
A solicitor representing more than 150 families affected by the scandal has criticised the HSE for its failure to give proper support to the victims.
A MOTHER whose son was sedated for two years with drugs prescribed by a junior doctor has blasted the HSE for failing to communicate with them after the release of the Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) report.
The woman, who does not wish to be named, says parents have been left in the dark by the HSE and families have yet to be notified about whether their child is one of 46 children described in the report as having suffered ‘significant harm’ due to their care under CAMHS.
Families of the 227 children that have been affected have not received any direct communication from the HSE since November 2021.
A letter was received informing parents that their child might have received incorrect treatment, followed by a group meeting on November 2, when they received an apology from the HSE.
Families did not get a copy of the report before it was published on January 26, and were not forewarned that the report was being published.
The mother told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Every time I see this 46 number it just causes me stress because I don’t know whether we’re part of that number. I’m asking myself how could we not be part of that number when my child was sedated for over two years?
‘If I’m not part of the 46, what on earth was going on with those other children. I am in a small group of families affected.
‘One person’s child became so aggressive on medication they had to call the guards, another child developed breasts.
‘Not one of us has been acknowledged as a family whose child has been significantly harmed.
‘We don’t even know what that phrase means to the HSE, what constitutes “significant harm” as far as they’re concerned? We all have so many questions.’
In his report, Dr Seán Maskey found, ‘No extreme or catastrophic harm had occurred in the 1,332 cases considered between July 2016 and April 2021’.
Dr Maskey did categorise 227 children as exposed to significant risk of harm through their diagnosis and/or treatment and 46 children categorised as suffering significant harm.
But the concerned mother said categorisations within the report need clarity and are particularly damaging to those affected by the scandal.
She asked: ‘How can you conclude that no catastrophic harm was caused? Please tell
me what you mean by that because, to me, having a child unnecessarily sedated for two years of his life is pretty catastrophic?
‘All the parents who are involved in this consider their children to be catastrophically harmed so a clear definition of what he considers catastrophic should be made clear.’
In 2018, the woman sought out support for her son through CAMHS when his behavioural issues in school worsened.
At this point the family had spent two years ‘in hell’ as they believed they were on a waiting list for services but were not.
It got to the point where the mother contacted TDs to get a proper assessment for her son.
It was then the family met with the junior doctor – Dr David Kromer – who is now known to have wrongly prescribed and overprescribed medications for children in south Kerry CAMHS.
The mother told the MoS: ‘We met and he told me it was obvious my child had ADHD and then he gave me a prescription for a drug, told me it was an emotional regulator and that it would help him to attend school.
‘I was delighted because his behavioural issues had got to the point where he may have been expelled, so I was happy we had found something that would help.’
The seven-year-old boy was prescribed Risperidone, an anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. While the behavioural issues began to dissipate, he was struggling to concentrate in school.
The doctor decided to provide
a stimulant to help with this issue called Medikinet. When Medikinet proved unsuccessful, he switched the prescription to Concerta, another stimulant.
The family began to notice a complete change in their child.
He became very quiet and demonstrated a complete lack of interest in playing, joining clubs or going to see friends.
What eventually came to light was that this was a bad combination and concentration of medications. Since coming off these prescriptions in March 2021, the mother said, ‘He is a different child. He’s back playing with friends. He has joined soccer, he’s active in the evenings’.
However, coming off the medication was an ordeal for the family as the seven-year-old suffered withdrawal symptoms including, nausea, sickness and sweating for a period of two
weeks. Watching this was a traumatic experience for the family.
The mother said she suffers guilt thinking about this period in her family’s life.
She told the MoS: ‘You trust your doctor knows best and now I just think, “Oh my
God, what have I done to my child?”.
‘I’m just at a loss as to how this was allowed to happen,’ she added.