Delays ‘hurt people with eating disorders’
Many are having to wait up to a year and a half, support group Bodywhys told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.
There are an estimated 200,000 people with eating disorders in Ireland. There are just three public hospital beds to treat those who fall seriously ill.
There is an 18-month waiting list for the beds in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.
A parent of a daughter with an eating disorder told the committee such disorders became more entrenched and difficult to treat the longer treatment was delayed.
The charity said teens requiring treatment often end up in highly unsuitable psychiatric wards ill-equipped to provide the multidisciplinary treatment needed.
Communications and advocacy officer with Bodywhys Catherine Joyce said very little had changed in the services available in public hospitals for children and adolescents. She also stressed the need for families to be involved in the recovery process.
The parent said she was able to get the help her daughter needed because she could pay for it. She did not want to be identified to protect her daughter.
Fianna Fáil Senator Camillus Glynn, who previously worked in the psychiatric services, said the situation was unacceptable.
Independent Senator Dr Mary Henry said the service had not improved since she began practicing medicine more than 40 years ago.
Deputy leader of the Labour Party and health spokesperson Liz McManus said the way mental health services operated was a mystery to a lot of people, including those in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr Liam Twomey, said GPs were not equipped to deal with eating disorders and mental health services for children and adolescents were either piecemeal or nonexistent.
And, he said, getting a psychiatric bed for difficult patients had turned into a “bloody nightmare” because a court order was needed for an involuntary admission.
The HSE’s assistant national director of mental health services, Martin Rogan, said the health service was funding private beds for people with eating disorders.
But, he said, if capacity is used by the HSE in the private sector, development of the public sector had to be deferred.
Mr Rogan pointed out that it was planned to have 80 specialist beds for children and adolescents with eating disorders within five years.
Bodywhys has called for the recommendations of the 2006 Vision for Change report to be fully implemented.
Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with the HSE Dr Brendan Doody warned that the estimated cost of implementing the plan, at €150m, was not enough. He pointed out that it would cost around €90m just to improve child and adolescent services.
And, he said, while a start had been made in implementing the plan, it was from a very low base.
* Those wanting to contact Bodywhys can call 1890 200 444 or access their website at www.bodywhys.ie.
