Staffing and waiting list figures for child mental health services 'shocking'

Laois/Offaly Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley is calling for immediate action on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the Midlands following the release of figures he says show waiting lists having doubled in three years.

“The finding of the latest independent report on CAMHS services show that the figures for the Midlands are a damming indictment of Government failing children. CAMHS waiting lists have doubled since this Government was formed in 2020. These figures have increased by 112%.

"The report commissioned by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) outlined that the State cannot provide assurances to parents that their children have access to safe, effective and evidence-based services. This in itself is a national scandal. Figures for Health Area CHO8 which takes in the midlands, highlight that these services are in crisis.’’

“The Midlands and CHO8 figures show staffing levels as of April this year at just 57% overall across the required disciplines in CAMHS. There are only 42% of the number of Occupational Therapists required, 49% of Social Workers, 33% of Psychologist and most damming of all just 21% of the required of Speech & Language therapists.

Waiting times for children to receive a referral for ADHD is an average of nine months in the region, plus, a further four months wait to be assessed with many waiting much longer than this which is unacceptable’’.

“The report also highlighted insufficient budgeting for CAMHS, with care teams and services being completely under resourced.

He said one of the main reasons for the Midlands/CHO8 region having such difficulties might be that its budget is the third lowest in the State.’’

“This latest report has 49 recommendations that the Minister for Health must accept and implement to reform CAHMS and improve service delivery,” he said, calling for immediate action to fill staffing vacancies across CAHMS services in the Midlands’’.

In her report, the Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty, has said that she cannot currently provide an assurance to all parents that their children have access to a safe and effective mental health service.

Due to the seriousness of the concerns raised by the review, the Inspector has recommended that a comprehensive strategy for all mental health services for children be prepared and approved by the HSE Board.

And while she acknowledged that there are good CAMHS services, citing, in particular “the excellent and skilled staff” who provide services as the “main CAMHS asset” - she stated: “I cannot currently provide an assurance to all parents or guardians in all parts of Ireland that their children have access to a safe effective, and evidence-based mental health service.”