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Committee on Future of Mental Health Care to hear from front-line staff on the operation of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

17 Apr 2018, 15:37

The Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care will tomorrow hear from representatives from St. Patrick's Mental Health Services and from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, when it meets to discuss the operation of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Committee Chairperson, Joan Freeman, said today, “Mental health services for children and adolescents in Ireland are on a cliff edge with some children’s services suffering from serious issues that are being completely ignored. There is a clear shortage of operational beds in dedicated child units and funding for the CAMHS services remains insufficient. Shockingly, a total of 44 children were admitted to adult mental health units in the first five months of this year. This is completely unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. Tomorrow the Committee will hear from individuals who work on the front-line of care in the CAMHS service nationally. Recruiting and retaining staff to work in the CAMHS service continues to be a challenge, but it is not one that is being addressed in any substantial way. Too many children remain on waiting lists for services and the Committee is increasingly concerned about patient safety in cases where children are being admitted to adult units.”

The meeting will start at 1.30pm in Committee Room 1, Leinster House.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.

Media enquiries

Nuala Walsh,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
+353 1 618 3437
+353 86 4100 898
nuala.walsh@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @OireachtasNews

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