Cuts to mental health services

A local health service held up as “best mirroring” the Government’s stop-start ‘Vision for Change’ mental health reform is facing “serious cutbacks” due to staff shortages in the system.

The Psychiatric Nurses’ Association made the claim about South Tipperary’s mental health services after warning the area is facing an imminent shortage of consultant psychiatrists and junior doctors.

The union said staff have been told by senior management to “cease and curtail a range of community services” because one consultant is leaving for another role and another doctor is taking extended leave.

And while the HSE insisted services will not be closed, instead saying they will be “temporarily re-organised”, “the cuts being demanded now flies in the face of the commitments to community psychiatric

services under Vision for Change,” said branch chairman Paschal Burke.

“Since the closure of St Michael’s in Clonmel patients were offered assessment, treatment and support in their own community with services.

“They included care in their own home, referral to day centres, or admission to the Department of Psychiatry in Kilkenny if the decision was that care in that unit was the preferred option.

“The lack of consultant psychiatrist cover has grave implications for the provision of all of these services.”

He said the PNA is seeking an “urgent meeting” with the HSE to address the situation.

A HSE spokesperson did not clarify when this meeting will take place, nor how many consultant psychiatrists and junior doctors are currently working in the mental health service — an issue that is central to the controversy.

“There has been no closure of mental health services in the South Tipperary area and none are planned,” the HSE statement read.

“Every effort will continue to be made to recruit locum medical staff and to fill the posts permanently.”