SF issues pledge on mental health

DEFICIENCIES in local mental health services will be tackled “head-on” if Sinn Féin are in Government, General Election candidate for Sligo/Leitrim, Martin Kenny has said.

“No longer should the provision of mental health services be obstructed by backward thinking or by stigma.

“Unfortunately, I have seen huge problems in mental health services in my own constituency, resulting in severe difficulties for patients and their families.

“Currently we have very ’ad hoc’ primary care services. We don’t have the services available to people when and where they need it.

“I have witnessed retiring social workers not being replaced.

“That is unacceptable and has real life, dangerous consequences.

“Most worryingly, we have people with severe mental health episodes being turned away from from hospital.

“Last year I raised with the Minister of State, Jim Daly, the case of a man who was in the middle of a severe psychotic episode but who was turned away from St. Columba’s psychiatric hospital in Sligo.

“This was one case, but there are numerous others, sometimes involving young adolescents and children.

“They find that there are huge holes in the service.

“Sinn Féin wants to transform mental health care.

“To do that we will put in place strategies that work and, crucially, we will back these strategies with the appropriate level of resources.

“Sinn Féin’s Mental Health proposals meet the scale of the challenge we face today and, amongst other proposals, we are committing to:

• Full implementation of ‘A Vision for Change’

• Fully staffed CAMHS teams • Investment in mental health primary care

• A school curriculum for Positive Mental Health “IT’S time that we rose to the challenge of the mental health issues facing many within our community. Sinn Féin is committed to doing this,” said Deputy Kenny.