Dáil debates

Tuesday, 2 July 2019

Mental Health Services Reports: Motion [Private Members]

 

9:00 pm

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support the motion and the Sinn Féin amendment. It is always good to debate mental health services in this House. I want to focus on child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in University Hospital Waterford, UHW, and the lack of facilities in that service.

The south east lost a number of adult psychiatrists over the past number of years. One of them resigned his post because he recognised that the services were lacking and that the building and services in place were not what children who need the supports of a child psychiatrist and CAMHS should get. The Mental Health Commission, on a number of occasions, found that the inpatient mental health facility at UHW was high risk and, critically, that it was non-compliant with regulations relating to the maintenance of records and the use of their selection. It also found in a previous inspection that children and adults were being placed in what it called "a dirty and dusty seclusion room". It was not fit for purpose. We have had reports of children in adult wards, including a report in 2017 of a 16 year old girl who was left in a chair overnight in an adult psychiatric ward and who was horrified by her plight. I am sure her family were as well. All of this demonstrates a lack of capacity in the system.

I do not blame the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, for every problem in the mental health service, no more that I do not blame the Minister, Deputy Harris, for every problem in our health service but there are serious capacity issues. The regulator, in this case the Mental Health Commission, has made it known time and again, year after year, that there are serious problems in terms of capacity, buildings that are not fit-for-purpose, children in adult words and a lack of psychiatrists. Psychiatrists are leaving UHW because they cannot work in that environment. When St. Senan's Hospital in Wexford closed, patients were sent to Waterford for services, but because no additional capacity had been put in place, the Waterford services became overcrowded and patients throughout the south east were told to attend the services in Cork. These people need supports immediately when they are having an episode or when there is a risk to their lives. They need immediate access to services but it is not available to them in most cases. This is the reality for many patients. Much more needs to be done. The Government needs to wake up on this issue.

I commend the authors of the motion and I support the amendment.

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