Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The HSE Waterford-Wexford mental health service serves a population of nearly 280,000. The executive is continuing its approach to develop integrated mental health care across both counties.

The significant funding provided by this Government is enabling Waterford-Wexford mental health services to implement the recommendations of A Vision for Change, to move from a traditional hospital-based model to a more patient-centred and community-based care.

In 2010, the acute mental health unit in St. Senan's Hospital, Enniscorthy, County Wexford was amalgamated with Waterford mental health services to provide a 44-bed acute inpatient mental health unit in University Hospital, Waterford. In addition, arrangements are in place whereby service users who live in north Wexford, and who attend Tara House mental health services in Gorey and require acute inpatient admission, have access to Newcastle Hospital, County Wicklow. Overall, 49 acute inpatient beds are available in the area which meets the requirements set out in A Vision for Change. Development of community mental health services include day hospitals and associated services at Wexford, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Gorey.

In addition, mental health services covering Wexford include Tara House in Gorey, Carn House in Enniscorthy, Summerhill in Wexford, Maryville in New Ross and a suicide crisis assessment nurse service available in Wexford. The latter provides a skilled mental health nursing service for those in suicidal or self-harm situations. This is based at the emergency department in Wexford General Hospital where there is a liaison nurse-led, seven-day service. In July 2014, a new purpose built crisis respite unit opened in Enniscorthy, providing ten respite beds for service users referred through a community mental health team, for respite care.

The Deputy will be aware that the Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for the planning and delivery of services at local level, and that any new service or capital development proposals can only be considered and prioritised in the context of the annual HSE national service plan, and the multi-annual health capital budget. I understand that the HSE has already supplied the Deputy with a more detailed response on 28 April 2015 to his recent parliamentary question on this matter.

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