No progress made on mental health, warn psychiatrists

PSYCHIATRISTS have fired an angry broadside at the Government for making almost no progress in the development of mental health services.

Yesterday, the Irish Psychiatric Association (IPA) claimed that the Government’s seven to 10-year strategy for the development of mental health services had gone nowhere.

The group, which represents around 60 of Ireland’s consultant psychiatrists, said the Government’s Vision For Change plan remains just that, a plan which has not been implemented.

The survey by the IPA found that services had not been reorganised as agreed, and found no evidence of the new national mental health policy which was launched one year ago.

Dr Siobhan Barry of the IPA said no capital programme to replace the crumbling and shoddy parts of the service has yet been put in place.

The IPA said it intends carrying out an annual review to measure progress.

In response, Mr Tim O’Malley, junior health minister said: “The Government is committed to the full implementation of A Vision for Change and has accepted the report as the basis for the future development of our mental health services. The assertions made by the association ignore what has been done in a short period of time.”

He added “The Government has almost trebled expenditure on mental health from €326 million in 1997 to €835m in 2006. We have already allocated a total of €51m additional funding for 2006 and 2007 to implement A Vision for Change. This is one third of the total funding estimated by the expert group to fully implement the mental health strategy over seven years.”