Delay in eating disorder service 'unacceptable'
There are currently just three public beds in Ireland for adults with eating disorders – in St Vincent’s Hospital. However, they are for people in the CHO6 catchment area, taking in areas of Dublin and Wicklow.
An eating disorder service due to open last December is now not expected to take in its first admissions until the second quarter of next year.
The unit at Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin is being refurbished but the project has been delayed because of an issue in the tender process.
Construction work on the project got underway last month on the unit, which is located in a convent building on the grounds of the hospital. The building is being converted into an eating disorder hub on the grounds of the hospital.
Correspondence received by Sinn Féin’s spokesman on mental health, Mark Ward, in recent days says that although the project is underway, it will not take in its first admissions until 2023.
In the correspondence, the HSE's National Director of Capital and Estate, Paul de Freine, said: “The construction project for the provision of a specialist Eating Disorder Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital commenced in June 2022. Construction is expected to complete in Quarter 1, 2023, which will be followed by equipping and commissioning.”
“The facility is expected to be brought into use in Quarter 2, 2023.
“The construction costs are per the tendered price of the project, which is in line with the Design Team’s estimate of cost for the scope of works.
“The overall project cost is approximately €2.8m.”
There are currently just three public beds in Ireland for adults with eating disorders – in St Vincent’s Hospital. However, they are for people in the CHO6 catchment area, taking in areas of Dublin and Wicklow.
In April, correspondence to Mr Ward from the HSE’s Mental Health General Manager for Community Healthcare East, Martina Behan, said that the opening of the facility at Mount Carmel would improve outpatient and day patient community services.
She added that this was expected in turn to “result in a reduction in the need to access inpatient beds at St Vincent’s Hospital”.
Mr Ward said the delays in the long-awaited eating disorder service in Mount Carmel Hospital are unacceptable, with the projected opening in the second quarter of 2023 a year and a half after its initial opening date.
He added: “There is a complete lack of urgency to tackle eating disorders. The amount of people presenting for treatment with eating disorders has increased over the last few years.”
He also said he has now sought information from the Department of Health to establish if there have been cost over-runs in the development.
Last month, the Minister with responsibility for Mental Health, Mary Butler, told the Dáil that three eating disorder teams are currently operational in different parts of the country, with recruitment for a further three being at an advanced stage.
She added: “What I am trying to achieve is that we will have one team in each community healthcare organisation, CHO. It is important that we have a situation where, regardless of where one lives, one has access to an eating disorder team.”
She also said: “It has been stated constantly that there are only three eating-disorder beds in the country. All approved centres are available for eating disorder cases, and we have 56 approved centres in the country. A person can avail of inpatient supports at any of the 56 centres.”
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