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Mental Health Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Questions (81)

Pauline Tully

Question:

81. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1484 of 24 March 2021, if his attention has been drawn to the shortfall in skilled mental health staff both here and internationally (details supplied) which is preventing the HSE from progressing the recruitment of clinicians for eating disorder teams; if he will raise this issue with the Higher Education Authority with a view to expanding the number of places available in this subject area in third-level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26944/21]

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Oral answers (6 contributions)

Has the Minister raised, or will he raise, the issue of the shortfall in skilled mental health staff with the Higher Education Authority with a view to expanding the number of places available in the subject area in third level institutions in this country?

I assure Deputy Tully my Department is committed to supporting the mental health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills required to be effective in the health workforce and to support a range of clinical teams, including the very important issue she highlights regarding supporting people with eating disorders.

Planning and decision-making for the expansion of those training places is a matter for the Department of Health, the HSE and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. My Department, the Higher Education Authority and the higher education institutions stand ready to help. We are committed to supporting the provision of graduates for the health service through undergraduate and postgraduate provision. We are actively engaging, as we speak, with the Department of Health on its health workforce planning needs. If it tells us what it believes is needed into the future and what role we can play in helping that, we stand ready to help. The Deputy has highlighted a very important and sensitive area where we clearly need to train more people. We are working hand in glove with the Department of Health and the HSE to try to assist in that regard.

I was concerned by information I received in reply to a parliamentary question I submitted recently regarding services for persons with eating disorders. The reply I received indicated the HSE had developed an approved model of care for eating disorders. It was launched in 2018 but, to date, out of the proposed eating disorder network of eight adult and eight child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, teams, only three teams have commenced recruitment and are delivering a service. Two are CAMHS and one is for adults, which is only three out of 16 in three years.

The HSE is provided with funding on a yearly basis. I am told funding is also available this year to progress the recruitment of clinicians, but the HSE has stated: "The availability of skilled staff is a significant issue in Mental Health services where demand outstrips supply in both the national and international contexts". I am told only three adult beds are available, all of which are based in community healthcare organisation, CHO, area 6. Very limited services are available for anyone else affected outside that CHO area.

It is recognised that most people can, and do, recover from eating disorders and the most effective treatment is in the community. The HSE-approved model of care for eating disorders sounds wonderful on paper, but it is based on establishing specialist regional teams with skilled clinicians that will collaborate with hospitals and GPs. As with every other medical condition, early intervention is key.

I fully agree with the Deputy. We are seeing a theme, and I say this in a constructive sense, in the parliamentary questions today, which is the delivery of public services. A number of Government strategies and the like commit to making improvements in very important areas, but will require us to produce more people to work and be trained in those areas.

I will say two things, honestly. First, there will obviously be a lead-in time for training. For example, for someone working in psychiatry we are talking about a study period of seven years. Second, from my Department's point of view, we are ready, willing and standing by ready to help. For any Department or State agency that wants to train more or says to us that it needs more graduates in certain areas, we are engaging very closely with the Department of Health's workforce planning unit. I will certainly feed back the Deputy's comments and the statistics she put on the record of the House into that process. I will be very happy to keep in touch with her on the matter.

I thank the Minister. I will point out there is a significant budget. Out of some €5.7 million made available, only €1.77 million has been invested. Something should be clearly earmarked at this stage. Money is not being used. The money is there, but all the money in the world is useless if there is no availability of trained personnel. It is a matter that should be actioned immediately to try to get the number of trained clinicians needed.

Unfortunately, some people die from eating disorders every year. Some 200,000 people in Ireland are affected at any one time, more females than males, and there are some 400 new cases a year, which is quite substantial. If people are given the care, support and intervention they need early, it will avoid them becoming chronic cases. Some 6% of chronic cases die. While the numbers might be low, these are deaths that could be very easily avoided.

I thank the Deputy for putting the spotlight on this very important issue. From my perspective as Minister, in the last three or four weeks I had a very good meeting with Bodywhys, the eating disorders organisation. We had a very important conversation about how we prepare our services and colleges for students returning to campus.

We will come to questions about that shortly. We have seen a very significant increase in mental health challenges, anxiety, stress and, no doubt, eating disorders as a result of the pandemic. We need to make sure there are additional supports in place for our students, as well as signposting for those supports, as they begin the new academic year. I am working with Bodywhys to identify how best to do that. I just wanted to mention that, given the issue the Deputy has highlighted today.

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