Vol. 416 No. 1
132 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health if he will outline (1) the number of community psychiatric nurses working in County Mayo, (2) the number of persons under their care and (3) the total allocation made available for their work in 1992; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The shift in the delivery of psychiatric services from institutional to community based care in line with the recommendations of the report Planning for the Future published in 1984 has led to the reassignment of a number of psychiatric nurses to community based facilities from former work locations in psychiatric hospitals.
At present there are ten community facilities providing 269 places for the care of the mentally ill in County Mayo. The facilities are staffed by a total of 19 psychiatric nurses in addition to ancillary non-nursing staff.
Prior to the development of community based facilities nursing care for the mentally ill in the community was provided by the grade of community psychiatric nurse. With the development of community psychiatric services the grade is being subsumed into multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals providing an integrated service in community facilities which include out-patient clinics, day centres, day hospitals, community workshops and hostel accommodation.
The information requested by the Deputy under separate headings of the grade of community psychiatric nurse and the grade of psychiatric nurse assigned to community based work is set out hereunder:
(1) The number working in County Mayo: six community psychiatric nurses; 19 psychiatric nurses in comunity facilities.
