300 people in psychiatric care ‘should not be there’

By Jennifer Hough

Friday, February 05, 2010

ABOUT 300 people with intellectual disabilities are still languishing in psychiatric hospitals despite Government commitments to move them into community care.

The figures come despite a Government policy document on mental health published in 1984 which stated that people with intellectual disabilities in mental hospitals should be cared for separately. The policy’s successor, Vision for Change, published in 2006 also stated this group be cared for in more appropriate surroundings.

Labour’s disability spokeswoman, Kathleen Lynch, said it was "entirely inappropriate" that a person with an intellectual disability should be kept in a psychiatric hospital.

"People with an intellectual disability who are resident in psychiatric hospitals are among the most vulnerable in society, and they are being dealt with in a shameful manner," she said.

"As long as they are being kept in a psychiatric hospital they are being denied the services that they need if they are to develop and flourish. Hospitals are simply not geared up to provide these services."

Ms Lynch said the tragedy was that the HSE had admitted that one third of these people had a mild intellectual disability, and a psychiatric hospital is the last place they should be.

Deirdre Carroll of Inclusion Ireland, which represents people with disabilities, said the situation was "totally unacceptable".

"Three years ago, A Vision for Change stated that this practice would end. It is simply not good enough," she said.

Last year, an independent monitoring group on A Vision for Change said it recognised the difficulties facing the HSE in the current economic climate, but that this did not in any way diminish the HSE’s responsibility to implement the policy document.

According to the HSE closure plans for large psychiatric hospitals, where there are approximately 300 people with intellectual disability, it will include arrangements for the transfer to appropriate residential facilities.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, February 05, 2010