TD slams waiting lists for mental health services for Cork children

A CORK TD has called on the health minister to urgently address the long waiting times for children and young people in Cork accessing mental health services.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that in his constituency of Cork South Lee alone, there were 258 people waiting for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs), with 104 of these young people waiting more than six months for an appointment.

The Cork South-Central TD was speaking during a debate of Sinn Féin’s motion to protect children and fix children’s mental health services, which was passed in the Dáil on Tuesday night.

He also discussed the recent review into Camhs in South Kerry, which found that 227 children being treated by a junior doctor employed by the service had been exposed to the risk of significant harm through his diagnoses and treatment of them.

A total of 46 children were identified as having suffered significant harm.

“The reports from South Kerry Camhs are deeply alarming,” Mr Ó Laoghaire said.

“The testimonies given by some parents were shocking. It is truly the stuff of nightmares for parents and families.

“A Camhs review must happen swiftly and it must take in all Camhs services across the country.

“There is not enough accountability for the delivery of mental health services. This must change.

“In Cork City, mental health services for children and young people are wholly inadequate,” he said.

Mr Ó Laoghaire said that it was “vitally important” that a Camhs review happened swiftly and that it “takes in the whole country”.

“In my own constituency, South Lee, there are 258 children and young people currently waiting for a Camhs appointment — 104 have been waiting more than six months, with 14 young people waiting over a year to access crucial mental health services,” he said.

“That is a dire statistic, without even addressing whether the care these children and young people will get from Camhs is adequate in the first place.

“Camhs services in Cork are completely overstretched. We need to completely transform how we deal with mental health services in this State,” he added.

Nationally, there are 3,357 children waiting for care, of which approximately 20% are in the Cork/Kerry region.

It was confirmed in a statement issued to The Echo by Cork Kerry Community Healthcare that the HSE will carry out a national audit of Camhs services.

“The HSE will carry out a national audit of Camhs services. The scope is currently being identified and will be finalised with the Minister for Health to initiate the process for the benefit of our patients and services users,” the statement said.