Professor Jim Lucey announced as new Inspector of Mental Health Services

Professor Jim Lucey. whose books include A Whole New Plan for Living, In My Room and The Life Well Lived, will now have overall responsibility for the inspection of approved in-patient mental health services in Ireland.

Renowned psychiatrist and author Professor Jim Lucey has been announced as the Mental Health Commission's (MHC) new Inspector of Mental Health Services.

The Dublin-born professor, whose books include A Whole New Plan for Living, In My Room and The Life Well Lived, will now have overall responsibility for the inspection of approved in-patient mental health services in Ireland.

A clinical professor of psychiatry at Trinity College and an associate professor of psychiatry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Prof. Lucey is taking over from the outgoing Inspector Dr Susan Finnerty, who has retired.

He has taken on the role, which he officially started in July, against a background of falling compliance with regulations on mental health premises inspected by the MHC. The MHC's latest annual report showed that 27% of centres it regulates were non-compliant in 2022 compared to 33% in 2021.

It also said four categories — premises, risk management, individual care planning, and staffing — had “unacceptable” compliance rates lower than 70%.

Added to that, the commission’s CEO recently warned that, despite the €73 million mental health services funding announced in the 2023 budget, there is a need for greater funding for mental health facilities, especially in Cork.

Prof. Lucey is also taking over as the commission prepares for an extension of its regulatory powers to cover community mental health facilities when the new Mental Health Act comes into power, which is expected to happen during this Dáil term.

Prof. Lucey said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the new inspector and intend to both listen to and work with all stakeholders to help ensure the Mental Health Commission continues to shine a light on challenges in Ireland’s mental health services.

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“I am looking forward to using that experience to support providers to move beyond the basic requirements of compliance towards achieving excellence.

“Considering the MHC will be regulating mental health services in the community, it is particularly important that we emphasise the need for continued improvement across the entire system and not just approved in-patient centres.

“I am very hopeful that the extension of the MHC’s remit will prompt another leap forward in the standard of mental health service provision in this country. I understand the challenges we face as a society to improve our services."

Mental Health Commission (MHC) chairperson, Dr John Hillery, said: “Professor Lucey has an international reputation as a clinician and a medical administrator. He is an acknowledged advocate for service user involvement in individual care planning and service development.”

MHC CEO John Farrelly said: "We consider ourselves fortunate to have attracted a person of Professor Lucey’s calibre to this critical position.”