Claims of 'staffing crisis' in Roscommon mental health services

The Psychiatric Nurses Association says there's a staffing crisis at Roscommon Acute Psychiatric Services.

The psychiatric unit at Roscommon Hospital is in the grip of a staffing crisis, it has been claime.d

The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has revealed that all admissions to the hospital's Acute Psychiatric Services unit were suspended over the weekend as a shortage of staff forced a further cutback in services.

The number of psychiatric nurses in the unit has been cut from 111 in 2009 to 58 this year.

The PNA says staff are being put at risk and services are deteriorating at the Roscommon facility.

The organisation has called on the Minister for Mental Health Kathleen Lynch to intervene in the crisis.