Written Answers. - Mental Health Services.
Dan Neville
Ceist:
28
Mr. Neville
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
his views on whether mentally ill patients are being discriminated against in relation to the delivery of other health services in view of the fact the report of the inspector of mental hospitals for year ending 31 December 1998 is an indictment of the State's treatment of one of the most vulnerable groups of patients; and his further views on the concerns of the inspector of the treatment of many patients, particularly long stay patients.
[26970/99]
I share the concerns of the Deputy in relation to the issues raised in the report of the inspector of mental hospitals for 1998. I acknowledge the crucial role that the inspector plays in providing an independent and detailed analysis of our mental health services. Many of the points raised by the inspector relate to clinical and administrative issues associated with the provision of care and I would expect them to be addressed by the relevant professional and management staff in the health boards and hospitals concerned. In so far as the inspector has identified the need for improvements in facilities and staffing levels, it is my intention to make additional resources available to the health boards and hospitals. I have allocated an additional £12.2 million for improvements in mental health services in the year 2000, an increase of over 100% on the additional funding provided in 1999, and much of this will be devoted to tackling the deficiencies identified by the Inspector.
The lack of multidisciplinary teams in many areas of the mental health services has been highlighted by the inspector of mental hospitals in his report. A total of £2.9 million has been allocated in 2000 towards the further development of community based mental health services, including the improvement of psychology and social work services. I acknowledge that much still needs to be done in the provision of comprehensive facilities and services. It is my intention to assist health boards to provide community-based services, as an alternative to care in large institutions, in line with the widely accepted policy for the mental health services outlined in Planning for the Future through the provision of development funding, both capital and revenue, next year and in future years.
In his report, the inspector of mental hospitals referred to the fact that some patients in psychiatric hospitals have been in institutional care for many years and recommended the establishment of dedicated teams to develop rehabilitation programmes to facilitate their transfer to more appropriate care in the community. I have allocated £250,000 to the Western Health Board to fund such a specialist-led team which will commence a rehabilitation programme for long stay patients in St. Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe. If this pilot project is successful, a similar approach will be considered for other hospitals.
An additional £1.1million is being allocated to further developments in child and adolescent psychiatry services. This funding will provide for the appointment of additional consultants in child and adolescent psychiatry and for the development of multidisciplinary teams to focus on specific areas, such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, ADD.
The increase in the number of people living to advanced old age requires the development of specialist mental health services to meet their specific needs. Old age psychiatry services have been expanding in recent years and an additional £1 million is being allocated in 2000 to further this development.
The provision of acute psychiatric units attached to, or associated with, general hospitals to replace services previously provided in psychiatric hospitals is continuing throughout the country. Seventeen acute psychiatric units are now linked to general hospitals and a number of units are currently at various stages of development including the Mercy Hospital, Cork; Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Dublin; St. Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park; Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe; Castlebar General Hospital; Ennis General Hospital; St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny; Nenagh General Hospital; Portlaoise General Hospital and Sligo General Hospital. A further four acute psychiatric units are under consideration as part of the national development plan.
A sum of £1.35 million is being provided to facilitate substantial improvements in the forensic psychiatry services in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. These funds will enable the appointment of four additional consultant forensic psychiatrists and associated support staff – two teams to be based in Dublin and one each in Cork and Limerick. These teams will liaise with the Director of Prison Medical Services and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform regarding the provision of appropriate psychiatric services in our prisons.
In addition, £1 million has been allocated towards suicide prevention programmes and £2.5 million has been provided towards the costs associated with the implementation of the new Mental Health Bill which I circulated yesterday.
These initiatives clearly demonstrate my commitment to bringing about real improvements in the mental health services and in tackling service shortcomings identified by the inspector.
