Psychiatric Nurses Association call for minister for mental health

A union representing psychiatric nurses is calling for the establishment of a dedicated minister for mental health, and says the government strategy for delivering better services fails to implement key elements of its plan — 10 years since its launch.

Addressing the Psychiatric Nurses Association’s annual delegate conference in Cavan yesterday, general secretary, Des Kavanagh, said that the results of a study to mark the ‘Vision for Change’ (VFC) strategy’s 10th anniversary show the plan “has not come close to achieving its goals”.

“VFC promised a great deal of hope when it was launched 10 years ago to those working in the mental health services and service users — that we would see a radical transformation in how services are delivered, with significant investment in facilities and staff driven by a political will to achieve the VFC goals within its 10-year life span,” said Mr Kavanagh.