Over 700 on waiting list for Cork and Kerry child psych services

More than 700 children with mental health difficulties are on a waiting list for a specialist treatment service in Cork and Kerry, including 200 waiting more than a year.

Delays in accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) worsened recently in Cork North Lee which closed to new referrals last month following the departure of a consultant psychiatrist. The HSE has advised GPs to send children in crisis to the emergency department (ED) at city hospitals where an on-call child psychiatry service is accessible.