Families face 'unacceptable' wait for psych help due to staffing vacancies

Families touched by mental health problems are facing “unacceptable” waits to see a psychiatrist, with new figures showing over a third of permanent consultant posts for child and adult care remain unfilled.

Details obtained by the Irish Examiner reveal that repeated recruitment campaigns have failed to fill HSE mental health psychiatrist posts across seven counties and there is now no closing date for the roles.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said the huge gap in filling mental health consultant vacancies was affecting efforts to help families struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.