Cork TD rejects HSE apology for failings in Camhs

A health service chief apologised for failures in mental health provision for young people as he conceded that some children are still waiting too long to access services but a Cork TD has said children need services, not apologies. 

HSE chief operations officer Damien McCallion appeared before an Oireachtas sub-committee this week to respond to a critical report on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

Last month’s interim report on CAMHS by the Mental Health Commission outlined a series of concerns on service provision. According to the report, several children and young people with open cases had effectively been “lost” in the system, meaning they did not have an appointment, in some cases for up to two years.

Addressing the Oireachtas sub-committee on mental health, Mr McCallion said: “I acknowledge that there are service deficits, both in terms of access, capacity, and consistency in the quality of services we provide.

“On behalf of the HSE, I wish to apologise to any child or young person who has not received the standard of care they should expect.” 

 Cork North Central TD and Sinn Féin spokesperson for Addiction, Recovery and Wellbeing, Thomas Gould said the children need “appropriate mental health supports” not “apologies”.

“For those children and adolescents and their families, apologies don’t mean anything, they need help and support. (The HSE) needs to immediately prioritise and allocate these children the appropriate mental health supports that they need.” 

 The report also found that some teams were not monitoring children on antipsychotic medication, that most services had no IT system to manage appointments, and there was no ring-fenced funding for CAMHS.

“We're worried that we're losing children," Mr Gould said. "It came out of a report recently that some children have been lost in service because of a lack of staff and the lack of resources to know who is on what list or whatever.

“We need real reform, and it needs to happen now, we can't be waiting another 12 months for the HSE to get a handle on this. It's really damaging for children and families." 

Acceptance rates of referrals to CAMHS varied regionally between 38% and 81%, according to the commission’s report.

Deputy Gould believes the pressures staff are under are leading them to leave. 

“The problem is they are under pressure and the burnout is so high among the staff. They're having huge issues in retaining staff also. I know myself that a number of nurses have recently left to go to other jobs, and some have emigrated to America, England and Australia because they see better working conditions, they feel more valued and supported.” 

 The Mental Health Commission had also recommended that the HSE undertake a clinical review of open cases not seen within the previous six months and those who have been prescribed neuroleptic (antipsychotic) medication.

“This review is now under way in teams across the country and will provide assurance that these children and young people are receiving appropriate care, reflective of both their current and future needs.

“Those impacted by this review, will be contacted directly by the relevant CAMHS team, and this process is targeted for completion by end of May this year,” said Mr McCallion.