Midlands has second highest waiting list for child mental health services

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed to Independent TD Carol Nolan that CHO Area 8, which encompasses Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath, has 764 children waiting to be seen in its Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). 124 of these children have been waiting in excess of one year.

The midlands CHO area has the second highest waiting list nationally with only CHO Area 4 having recorded more children (974) on its CAMHS waiting list.

Nationally there was 3,819 children on the waiting list for community mental health services:

“I know that the staff in our mental health service providers are under extraordinary pressure, but so too are the parents and children who are absolutely desperate for even minimal levels of intervention and assessment that they are clearly not receiving,” said Deputy Nolan.

“I find it totally unacceptable that once again CHO area 8 is near the top of the list in terms of waiting times for essential services.”

“It was confirmed to me only recently that CHO area 8 also has the highest number of people on its waiting lists for Speech and Language Therapy (3,962).”

“When these numbers are combined then the level of service deficit becomes startling clear. Our children are being failed at a local and national level, with children in midland counties the worst affected in many cases.”

“Clearly something is deeply, deeply broken when CHO area 8 is recording almost 800 children waiting for CAMHS but in at least five other HSE areas that number is well below 300 children.”

“Why are our numbers so high? That is a question I am demanding answers to from the minister and indeed the HSE.”

“We cannot allow this breakdown in services to continue. It is potentially causing irreparable developmental delay in so many children and causing untold frustration among parents who only want the best for the kids,” Deputy Nolan concluded.