Mental health services curtailed despite €1m weekly bill on agency nurses

Nurses have reported having four nurses on duty when five is required. It is now so common that few complain, Psychiatric Nurses Association deputy general secretary Michael Hayes said. Picture: PA

Mental health patients are seeing services curtailed due to shortages of specialist nurses, with about €1m spent on agency nurses weekly, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has warned.

It comes after the Mental Health Commission raised concerns about staff shortages. They included residential units for adults and children in Cork and Limerick.