No vision from Govt. as mental health services fail children – Mac Sharry

Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Marc Mac Sharry, has said the government are completely failing in their duty to care for our most vulnerable children in the North West who require mental health services.

In CHO1, the community health organisation area covering Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, and other locations, there is a shortfall of 40 staff required to maintain the recommended cover in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS).

He commented, “The figures tell the continued story of the North West being left behind by government. Despite the policy proposals in A Vision for Change , the landmark mental health strategy, the government are failing to meet their targets.

“There are only three or four hospital-based CAMHS units, with none in the North West. We do not have 24-7 CAMHS care, which is unacceptable. The annual report of the Mental Health Commission highlighted that 40% of approved centres were not compliant with regulation 15, which relates to individual care plans.

“Of the 27 centres that continued to use seclusion in 2018, 67% were non-compliant with the rules, while of the 52 approved centres that used physical restraint during the year, just 19% were compliant.

“I am calling on the Minister for Health to ensure that we move to 24-7 CAMHS services as a matter of the utmost urgency along with the provision of a full-time unit in the North West, similar to those located elsewhere in the country,” he concluded.