Psychiatric unit still closed seven months after official opening

A UNIT designed to cater for the needs of children and teens with serious psychiatric problems remains closed to clients — almost seven months after the Health Service Executive (HSE) announced its official opening.

The eight-bed inpatient facility in the grounds of St Stephen’s Psychiatric Hospital in Glanmire, Cork, was described as “an important development in our child and adolescent mental health services” when it was ‘officially opened’ on April 3 by Minister of State at the Department of Health, John Moloney.

Its failure to open means the national complement of beds for children and adolescents in need of inpatient psychiatric help remains at 22, just two more than the number criticised as “seriously deficient” in a report on mental health resources published three years ago.