Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health the amount of the €35 million funding that was ring-fenced for mental health services under the Budget Statement 2012 that will be allocated for the provision of services and treatment of eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11818/12]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Health if there is a timeframe for the implementation of recommendation of 15.4.6 on the development of multi-disciplinary teams providing specialist inpatient, outpatient and outreach services for eating disorders, one per team per Health Service Executive region, which are linked closely to the local adult CMHTs to ensure continuity of care and recommendation 15.4.7 which proposes an eating disorder sub-unit in a regional general hospital mental health unit with six beds each and which would contribute 24 public eating disorder beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11819/12]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Health the services currently in place in the public health system for the treatment of adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 years with an eating disorder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11820/12]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 to 206, inclusive, together.

A special allocation of €35m for mental health was provided in Budget 2012 in line with the Programme for Government commitments, part of which will support the treatment of eating disorders. The €35m funding will primarily be used to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both Adult and Children's mental health services, by ensuring, at a minimum, that at least one of each mental health professional discipline is represented on every team. Over 400 additional staff will be recruited to support initiatives under the €35m package.

It is intended that the additional resources will be rolled out in conjunction with a scheme of appropriate clinical care programmes which are currently being developed. The clinical care programme plan will construct service models that implement A Vision for Change. Core to the overall plan will be the principles of recovery, individualised care delivered in partnership with voluntary agencies and based on early intervention and evidence based practice. Three areas in particular will be prioritised this year, one of which will be around the treatment and care of patients with eating disorders. The other two priority programmes will be on Early Intervention in Psychosis and Suicide Prevention.

HSE services for people with eating disorders are embedded in the Community Mental Health Service and with Primary Care. Individuals with eating disorders frequently present to the primary care practitioner with complications of their condition and early intervention at this level greatly improves outcomes. The HSE has developed a Mental Health in Primary Care accredited training programme for primary care practitioners with Dublin City University with a view to enhancing the capacity of primary care to recognise, assess and treat a range of mental illnesses, including eating disorders, within the primary care setting.

Community based Adult Mental Health Services receive referrals from Primary Care and provide assessment and treatment to individuals with eating disorders; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams provide a similar role for their cohort of referrals. Where the individual's psychiatric or medical needs are more acute, in-patient admission is offered within the local psychiatric services or acute medical care where necessary.

The HSE can and has worked with service providers in the independent sector to provide specialised care, on an in-patient and/or an out-patient basis. In a limited number of cases, referrals to specialised eating disorder services in Dublin or the UK can be clinically recommended and supported in appropriate circumstances, subject to the necessary resources being available.