Mental healthcare review should involve ‘users and providers’

MORE than 40 independent organisations, including Amnesty International, have criticised the lack of consultation on a planned review of Ireland’s mental healthcare system.

The groups said yesterday that the Government's policy review will prove futile unless the composition of a proposed expert group is expanded to include patient representatives and other service users and providers.

"The time has come for formal consultation on the planning of mental healthcare, if Government rhetoric is to correspond to reality," said Amnesty's Irish director Seán Love.

He said the existing mental healthcare policy, which dates from 1984, has never been properly implemented.

"Service users and providers are struggling with an outdated, fragmented and severely under-funded system, in which the most vulnerable are sadly the most neglected," said Mr Love.

He claimed the existing mental healthcare system was based on an antiquated asylum-based policy from 150 years ago.

Mr Love also noted that Ireland was failing to comply with international law in its treatment of people with disabilities in general.

The various groups which include the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Simon, USI, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Schizophrenia Ireland and the Irish Psychiatric Association are also concerned that a proposed updating of a national policy framework on mental healthcare is already a year behind schedule.

It is estimated that one out of every four people will suffer a mental health problem at some stage in their life, with one in 10 requiring medical intervention.