Mental health service improvements explained

MORE than 250 mental health professionals gathered yesterday to be told of the major improvements needed under the Government’s new policy document.

The State has pledged €950 million in funding over the next seven years for mental health services.

Held at the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork, the meeting was to discuss the Department of Health and Children’s document A Vision for Change, which was adopted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) earlier this year as the blueprint for the development of mental health policy in Ireland.

Professor Joyce O’Connor, chair of the Expert Reference Group for A Vision for Change told delegates the first step is to be a reorganisation and restructuring of mental health services that should involve:

* The appointment of the National Mental Health Service Directorate.

* The reorganisation of mental health catchment areas into larger catchments.

* The appointment of local catchment are management teams in those areas.

The €950m in funding over seven years includes additional HSE revenue funding of €21.6m annually and additional capital funding from the sale of lands in mental health services to be re-invested back into the service.

An HSE spokeswoman said: “Crucially, the strategy focuses on the service user and ensuring they and their families have access to a user-friendly system.”

The funding will provide more consultants and mental health teams for adult, child and adolescent services, rehabilitation and psychiatry for old age, forensic psychiatry, homeless mentally ill and the provision of more community-based mental health teams.