Child psychiatric admissions fall 40% due to staff shortages

The Camhs-approved centre at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway saw its admissions numbers fall from 88 in 2021 to 61 in 2022, with 34 cases this year.

Psychiatric nurses, psychologists, and mental health campaigners are calling for “urgent” action to address a continuing shortage of child inpatient psychiatric beds.

HSE figures supplied to the Irish Examiner show a 40% drop in admissions to the four public Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) approved centres last year due to staff shortages.