North Kerry Camhs: Hundreds more children may receive apology

Further review of cases was announced on Thursday in the wake of Dr Colette Halpin's report 

Dr Colette Halpin's report identified a risk of potential for harm to 209 children out of the 374 files that were checked. Picture: iStock

Hundreds more children treated in the North Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) could receive a HSE apology, a solicitor working with affected families has said.

A further review of cases was announced on Thursday, looking back to children seen since 2014 by North Kerry Camhs.

It follows a report published by Dr Colette Halpin which identified a risk of potential for harm to 209 children out of the 374 files that were checked.

However, the report only covered cases that were open in November 2022.

It is understood the review involves the cases of around 1,500 children, with a priority to review the cases of kids on multiple medications.

A serious incident team will start work on 310 priority files on Monday, according to minister of state for mental health Mary Butler.

Referring to those files, solicitor Keith Rolls said:

I would expect there will be an apology for every single file. 

He understands “most” of these children are living with intellectual disabilities.

“They were being fed anti-psychotic medication, so I expect there will be a 90%, at least, apology rate in these 310 files,” he said.

The Halpin review found children under the Camhs intellectual disability team “had no access to non-medical intervention”.

Some 94% were prescribed medication, and many had multiple medicines. 

Mr Rolls welcomed the focus on medication, and he called for this to be widened.

'It minimises other deficits'  

“It minimises other deficits. They’ve focused effectively on anti-psychotic medication, but that minimises the other deficits in care documented in the Haplin review,” he said.

“That includes inappropriate assessments, no baseline monitoring.”

He also raised concerns over how parents find out that the care given to their children is under review.

An online portal is being opened for cases outside the priority group to request their files be examined.

“How are people going to become aware of the portal?” he asked.

“Is the HSE going to write to the families, some 1,500 households, and say they are reviewing those files?”

He also called for a timeline on behalf of the many families he represents.

These families are worried, he said, because Dr Halpin’s review had been expected in early 2024.

A HSE South-West statement on the lookback referred to “future action” to follow.

“That’s a very vague statement,” he said, adding this could be anything from repairs on Camhs premises to larger reforms.

Parents told Dr Halpin’s review they “were not given information about medications prescribed for their child”.

They also did not understand the potential for side effects from certain medicines.

Kerry Camhs information phone line: 1800-700700 or 01-2408787 Monday to Saturday.

• Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent