Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

Mental health services continue to be the Cinderella of the health system. As other Members pointed out, the amount of overall health funding given over to mental health services has reduced considerably from 13% several years ago to 5% in 2010. A Vision for Change recommended the figure should stand at 8.4%. Mental health services have lost significant numbers of staff owing to early retirement schemes and recruitment moratoriums. While mental health staff comprised only 9% of the total health services complement, they have been reduced by 20%. It can be argued provisions for this area have actually worsened over the past 20 years. If mental health services are to be given the priority and its service users given community-based treatment, the financial and staffing resources must be increased. Services and staffing levels cannot be maintained on current funding.

A Vision for Change is an integrated package of measures to provide community-based and inpatient mental health services for users. While the policy was first announced in 2006, little progress has been made in implementing it since then. In those areas where progress has been made, a welcome culture change has been introduced in mental health services with a move to community-based services away from the medical led model. There is no doubt community services, provided by home-based teams and day hospitals, are the future of mental health service provision. This can only be developed if proper funding, resources and staff are made available.

Access to these services by service users and their families is vital. Recovery for many service users would be difficult unless they had the full support of their families and friends. Providing such services in a local setting goes a long way in doing so.

I disagree with the Government's policy of cherry-picking elements of A Vision for Change by providing reduced services, resources and staffing. In recent weeks a home-based team was put in place in south Tipperary. A Vision for Change recommended such a team would comprise a team leader, a consultant psychiatrist, a non-consultant hospital doctor, several nurses along with allied health professionals such as occupational therapists and social workers. The team in south Tipperary has neither a team leader, a non-consultant hospital doctor on call or any other health professional. A Vision for Change cannot be implemented in such a fashion.

Any community-based service must include vital inpatient acute services for the small number of patients who may require them.

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