Number of referrals accepted by child mental health services continues to fall

Sinn Féin spokesperson on mental health, Mark Ward TD, said he had recently had visits from families outlining how their child's dual diagnosis, including being on the autism spectrum, meant they were not seen by Camhs and were instead diverted to disability services. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The percentage of referrals to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) accepted for treatment is continuing to fall.

Less than half of all referrals are being accepted in two health areas, data show.

New figures released under Freedom of Information show that that the number of referrals accepted  into Camhs has gone from 72% in 2020, to 67% last year, to 62% in the first four months of this year.

The figures from the HSE show all nine Community Health Organisations have seen some form of decline this year compared to the situation in 2020, and that while the decline in referrals accepted is modest in some areas, it is significant in others.

For example, in CHO4, which covers Cork and Kerry, 70% of referrals were accepted in 2020, which fell to 59% last year and just 47% for the first four months of 2022.

In CHO9 — Dublin North, Dublin North Central and Dublin North West — the rate of referral acceptance into Camhs has gone from 62% in 2020 to 56% last year and just 45% to the end of April this year.

Another area to see its referral acceptance rate drop below 50% was CHO5 — South Tipperary, Carlow/Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. There it has gone from 63% two years ago to 57% last year and 49% in the first four months of 2022.

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Over the 28 months covered in the Freedom of Information request, Camhs received a total of 48,481 referrals, with 15,540 not accepted.

If the current rate of referral to Camhs in the first four months of this year is replicated across the rest of 2022, it will mean in excess of 31,000 referrals for the year — well ahead of last year's total 23,125.

The HSE said referrals to Camhs were not broken down by referrer, type of referrer, origin or length of placement per type of referrer. 

The data shows that hundreds of referrals have been accepted into facilities including Linn Dara, where almost half the beds at its in-patient unit have been closed temporarily due to a staffing shortage. Merlin Park, Eist Linn, and St Vincent's have also dealt with a number of referrals in recent years.

Sinn Féin  spokesperson on mental health, Mark Ward TD, said he had recently had visits from families outlining how their child's dual diagnosis, including being on the autism spectrum, meant they were not seen by Camhs and were instead diverted to disability services.

“It's not good enough,” he said.

Mr Ward also referred to waiting lists for primary care services as well as services such as Jigsaw, at a time when he said more young people were presenting at hospitals with acute mental health problems.

“If children get early intervention in Jigsaw or primary care psychological services they may not need to go on to use more acute services,” he said.

“But they're not getting that early intervention.”

Last February, the clinical director of Linn Dara, Professor Brendan Doody, told the Oireachtas Health Committee that the recommended provision of inpatient beds for child and adolescent services in A Vision for Change, published in 2006, was 100 beds and there were 70 in place at the start of this year.

“We have 70% of the recommended level,” he said. “The population has significantly increased since 2006."