Results 9,941-9,960 of 26,394 for speaker:David Cullinane

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I have a number of questions for Mr. Rogan. The Mental Health Commission can obviously speak for itself but Mental Health Reform and Mental Health Ireland have a role to play in advocating for improved mental health services. Did Mr. Rogan read the commission's latest report, published on 2 July?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: There was a press release on the report that stated too many residents are still being treated like second-class citizens. Does Mr. Rogan agree this is how some residents in acute settings are treated?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Rogan. He said in his submission to the committee, which we took as read, that we need to ensure easy access to mental health services and supports across the continuum of care, including primary, community, acute and specialist services, as well as supporting individuals with existing mental health difficulties. Obviously, I would want to see that and we support that, but we...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: If we are not getting the basics right, there is something fundamentally wrong. If the premises are not suitable, there is something fundamentally wrong. The Mental Health Commission refers to no meaningful care plan for some patients in 31 centres throughout the State. One would imagine that one of the very first things put in place would be a care plan for the individual. If that is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: May I give an example of a unit in my constituency, the mental health unit in University Hospital Waterford? There were a number of reports into that unit. One of them found it was not clean and there were overflowing bins and stains in some toilets. Patients reported sleeping on the floor in the unit. According to the Mental Health Commission, this year's report "once again demonstrates...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I wish Mr. Rogan well in his ongoing work in advocating for mental health patients and good mental health.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I welcome the witnesses. My first question is for Mr. Farrelly. I commend him and the commission on their work. I read the 2018 and 2019 reports in advance of the meeting. They make for very sober reading. Mr. Farrelly stated in a press release that accompanied the publication of the report on 2 July that too many residents in acute psychiatric settings or acute services in mental health...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: He also stated that the fundamental human rights of patients were being overlooked.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Mr. Farrelly further stated that many mental health residents are still being admitted to outdated and unclean premises. He went on to state that the commission has consistently and repeatedly underlined the failings in our mental health system, but that these shortcomings are yet to be acted upon. Is that correct?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Is it the responsibility of Mr. Ryan to ensure that those shortcomings are acted upon?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I asked whether it was Mr. Ryan's role. I will get to what he does in a few minutes. It is fairly obvious what he does. I asked whether he has a role in ensuring that any shortcomings pointed out by the independent regulator are addressed. Is he the operational officer within the HSE who deals with acute psychiatric settings?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: The answer is "Yes".

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Okay. The report goes on to cite critical risks in several areas, including premises, therapeutic programmes, services and staffing, as well as a lack of individual plans for patients in these settings. I wish to talk Mr. Ryan through some of the figures in the report because they are quite stark. The figures are broken down for each hospital and acute centre. The centres are licensed and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Many other speakers have strayed into this area. This is one of the few opportunities, if not the first opportunity, we have had in the Oireachtas to put questions to both the Mental Health Commission and the person responsible for the commission's findings in this very important report.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Incidentally, the report states that Covid exacerbated the position and it took account of this. I ask Mr. Ryan to address the questions I asked.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I have read all of these reports going back a number of years, all of which point out the same shortcomings, problems and failures. Mr. Ryan will be aware that in my constituency a number of reports were published specifically about the department of psychiatry in University Hospital Waterford. The position does not seem to be improving. I have given an example where the figures are going...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Returning to the regulator, I raise the example of the unit in University Hospital Waterford because I know something about it as it is in my constituency. Mr. Farrelly points out in his report that overall compliance is going in the wrong direction, as the breakdown of the figures shows. Why were conditions attached to the unit in Waterford removed given that overall compliance was going...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I have one final question for Mr. Farrelly. If things are improving in Waterford, that is fine but the Mental Health Commission's report shows that compliance overall is going in the opposite direction. Page 24 of the report refers to the enforcement model. The commission has the option to remove a unit or service from its register. Has it ever done that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: Why not? Is the reason that the situation has not been bad enough for that to happen?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

David Cullinane: I was not advocating that we close any unit. I am just asking the question. It is one of the powers the Mental Health Commission has. If things got so bad in some of them that it warranted closure, I am wondering why those powers were not used. The main point I am making is that if Waterford is an example, it is not a great example because the services have not improved to my...