Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Health the contingency plan in place to address the staffing crisis in the mental health services as a result of the 400 front line nurses retiring, on top of the estimated 1,200 staff who have left posts in the mental health services in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8328/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The cumulative impact of staff reductions from this year and previous years presents a significant challenge for the health system generally in delivering services. The priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost effective health system. Like other care areas, efficiency and other savings will be required from the mental health service and it will have to deal with its share of staff reductions. A Vision for Change recommended the closure of the old psychiatric hospitals and a move from the traditional institutional based model of care to a patient-centred, flexible and community based mental health service, where the need for hospital admission is greatly reduced, while still providing in-patient care when appropriate. This Government is committed to implementing A Vision for Change and reforming our model of health care delivery so that more and better quality care is delivered in the community. This commitment was clearly shown in Budget 2012 with a special allocation of €35m for mental health in line with the Programme for Government. Funding from this special allocation will be used primarily to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children's mental health services, improve access to psychological therapies in primary care and implement suicide prevention strategies in line with Reach Out – the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention. The HSE Service Plan for 2012 provides for the recruitment of over 400 staff to the mental health service to deliver on these objectives.

Although final figures are not yet available, 467 mental health staff have indicated their intention to leave our mental health services by the end of February 2012. The figure includes all staff in mental health services including nurses and may vary as staff can re-consider up to the end of the month. The HSE's Service Plan includes a commitment to reduce acute in-patient capacity by a minimum of 153 beds nationally in 2012, in line with the recommendations of A Vision for Change. A key priority for the HSE is the reconfiguration of acute in-patient services and the redeployment of staff resources away from old institutional settings or over-provision of acute in-patient beds towards community based services. Regional service plans are currently being finalised and will be published shortly. RDOs are continuing to manage the transition in their own areas. Briefings with staff, unions, public representatives and other stakeholders have already commenced and will continue as the situation unfolds over the coming weeks.