Mental Health Services face closure due to understaffing - Buckley
Sinn
Féin Mental Health spokesperson Pat Buckley TD has described as
scandalous the risk posed to local mental health services by short
staffing of nurses. Responding to news that the Linn Dara Child and
Adolescent Unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital is set to close half of
its beds due to 50% of nurses posts remaining vacant, the Cork East
TD said a renewed focus had to be given to filling vacant positions
and treating nursing staff properly.
Deputy
Buckley said;
"This
22 bed service for young people is an absolutely essential part of
the mental health services in Dublin. We have only recently had
stories of children being placed in over crowded adult wards without
even a bed. The idea that we will have less beds for young people in
mental health distress is shocking and unacceptable.
“At
present there are only 63 CAMHS beds in the state, well below the 100
promised in the Vision for Change strategy, now 11 years old. The
loss of nearly a fifth of those beds, right in he capital would be
devastating and have real and tragic consequences.
“This
situation puts children with mental health issues at serious and
immediate risk.
“Sinn
Féin stands squarely with the nurses and their representatives in
identifying the key issue which has cause this situation. Nurses
cannot be expected to take up posts which are poorly paid, with bad
conditions on top of that. A mental health nurse's starting is well
below that of other professionals in the field but they are on the
frontline and essential to the continuation of even the most basic
service.
“The
Minister for Health Simon Harris has talked about a pathway to 24/7
services but they have refused to provide the funding to make this a
reality. A paltry €15 million was provided in additional funding
for 2017. This is not enough to allow he services to stand still. The
Minister must face up to this crisis and begin to fight at cabinet
for the funding needed to save services and provide better conditions
for nurses and the people who depend on their care."
