Written answers
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Department of Health
Mental Health Services
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context
211. To ask the Minister for Health in light of the recent Mental Health Commission report, the actions she will take to improve acute mental health services and services for those with severe mental health conditions, especially out of hours care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23222/25]
Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context
I recognise that the Mental Health Commission (MHC) play an important, independent role in supporting and assisting in the development and improvement of mental health services nationally. The Commission’s 2024 thematic report focused on mental health care in hospital emergency departments. I recently welcomed the Chief Inspector’s report and I can assure the Deputy that I will work with the Department of Health and the HSE to expand the alternative care pathways and therapeutic environments for people presenting to emergency departments in mental health crisis.
The report of the Chief Inspector recommends improving the timeliness of mental health assessments following presentation to the emergency department, and for medical and mental health assessments to happen concurrently rather than sequentially, in line with international best practice. It is widely accepted emergency departments are an inappropriate environment for people in a mental health crisis, and that alternative care pathways and therapeutic environments should be developed.
I fully support the development of real alternatives to emergency departments and will continue to prioritise securing additional funding to continue their expansion.
The recommendations of the Commission’s report are being considered by both the Department and the HSE and will be used to inform service delivery improvement programmes, including the HSE National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation and other relevant clinical programmes.
Several initiatives and developments continue to be advanced to support access to services, and to ensure that people with mental health difficulties can access the emergency supports that they need. These include:
- Prioritising the ongoing work of the National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation in relation to the issue of assessment rooms and securing safe, dedicated spaces within all emergency departments for mental health assessments.
- Continued national roll-out of Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurses (SCAN Nurses).
- The roll-out of a network of Crisis Resolution Teams, providing an extensive range of community services focused on resolving mental health crises within mental health services, and avoiding emergency department presentation.
- A new model of care for Liaison Psychiatry (in emergency departments and acute hospitals) has been developed by the HSE and will be launched in Q2 2025.
- The Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Operational Plan reduction in cumulative daily trolley count in 2024 and key focus in the 2025 plan on expansion of all UEC services into evenings and weekends.
I have overseen the development of the new Model of Care for Crisis Resolution Services, which has two components, Crisis Resolution Teams and Crisis Cafés.
Crisis Resolution Teams are teams of mental health professionals who work out of hours to meet people in a crisis and provide rapid assessment and intensive intervention. There are now six pilot Crisis Resolution Teams currently operational in different parts of the country.
Crisis Café are a welcoming, non-clinical safe environment in the style of a café where people can go at evenings and weekends. These are known as 'Solace' cafés, and a number are now open in different locations.
The model of care for Crisis Resolution Services was developed as a direct recommendation of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. It recognises that people who are experiencing a mental health crisis need specialist services to provide timely brief intensive supports to keep people safe.
In addition to the above, the HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office published a new 3-year action plan in February of this year for comprehensive reform across all youth mental health services, including the specialist CAMHS service. This will deliver services which are safer, effective, easier to access and which offers appropriate support at all levels when needed.
The three-year plan sets out a clear roadmap for the Department and HSE to ensure children and families have equitable and timely access to high-quality mental health care, including better links with Primary Care and Disability Services, and greater use of e-mental health responses.
Key aims are to ensure young people nationally can access in a more comprehensive and integrated way, youth focused Mental Health care at the right time in the right place as envisaged under Sláintecare reforms. Services should be better connected and easier to navigate, with increased focus on the rights of young people and their families.
The new Plan commits to developing an Integrated Crisis Response Pathway for children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis across the 24/7 continuum of care, including an improved child and youth liaison service with Emergency Departments.
No comments