Mental health reform ‘needs easing’ of recruitment ban

IT will be impossible to deliver the Government’s mental health reform programme without an easing of the nurses’ recruitment ban, Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, John Maloney said yesterday.

He said he had asked for the issue to be included on the agenda for yesterday afternoon’s Cabinet sub- committee on health and was hopeful that the Government would agree with his argument against the staffing embargo.

The Irish Mental Health Coalition (IMHC) has called for an immediate end to the moratorium on recruiting and replacing essential staff in mental health services.