Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 2 May 1996

Vol. 464 No. 8

Written Answers. - Psychiatric Services Report.

Ivor Callely

Question:

25 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the report Planning for the Future, the policy document on psychiatric patients; the concerns, if any, that have been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8995/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan

, Limerick East): The report of the study group on the development of the psychiatric services —Planning for the Future— forms the blueprint for the development of the psychiatric services into the 21st century.

The Deputy will be aware that a key recommendation of the report was that there should be a shift in the delivery of services for the mentally ill from a predominantly institutional to a community based approach in caring for and treating persons with mental illness. The emphasis on such a service is on outpatient treatment and day care services.

In line with this recommendation, health boards have been restructuring their psychiatric services with policies of developing a comprehensive range of community psychiatric services, including day hospitals and day centres, rehabilitating and discharging patients from their various institutions to community residential accommodation and developing acute psychiatric units at general hospitals.

Significant progress has been made across all health boards in implementing these policies. A total of 15 acute psychiatric units attached to general hospitals have been developed and provide almost 10 per cent of all psychiatric hospital residential care. Admissions to the parent psychiatric hospital in whose area they have been provided have virtually ceased.

Six more such units are at planning stage. The number of day places and community based residences for former psychiatric inpatients continues to grow. At the end of 1993, the most recent year for which published figures are available, there were 3,147 day places available, an increase of 211 over 1992 and 2,556 residential community based places, an increase of 115 over 1992.

I am committed to the continued development by health boards of their services in line withPlanning for the Future. I have provided additional capital and revenue funding in 1994, 1995 and 1996 to underpin this commitment. In 1994, an additional £2 million was provided to the boards, £3 million in 1995 and £750,000 has been provided so far in 1996.

I am not aware of any concerns which have been expressed regarding progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the policy document. I am satisfied with the progress to date while recognising that much remains to be done.