Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
624. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the progress made to date in implementing A Vision for Change; the reason there is a priority to review the Mental Health Act 2001 prior to replacing the A Vision for Change implementation expert group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6581/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraImplementation of A Vision for Change (AVFC) and the reform of our mental health services is a priority for this Government. Implementation of AVFC has been slower than originally expected. It has been delayed by a number of factors including the changed economic context, constraints in public spending and the moratorium on recruitment.
Nonetheless, a great deal of progress has been made with the accelerated closure of old psychiatric hospitals and their replacement with bespoke new facilities, better suited to modern mental health care. Progress also includes shorter episodes of in-patient care and the involvement of service users in all aspects of mental health policy, service planning and delivery.
A modern mental health service is best delivered in the community and in 2012 a special allocation of €35m was provided primarily to further strengthen Community Mental Health Teams in both adult and children’s mental health services, to advance activities in the area of suicide prevention, to initiate the provision of psychological and counselling services in primary care, specifically for people with mental health problems and to facilitate the re-location of mental health service users from institutional care to more independent living arrangements in their communities, in line with AVFC .
Budgetary pressures within the HSE delayed the full utilisation of this funding, but this sum is now available to mental health services along with an additional €35m allocated in Budget 2013 for the continued development of mental health services across a range of headings, including the further ongoing development of community services. This represents a total of €70m additional revenue to modernise and reform our mental health services in 2013. Over 800 new mental health professionals are being employed to strengthen these services.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the Independent Monitoring Group for A Vision for Change which ceased its term in June 2012. This Group was appointed in line with the recommendations in AVFC to assess and report on progress on implementation. AVFC also contained a commitment that it would be reviewed after seven years.
In relation to the review of the Mental Health Act 2001, Section 75 the Act obliges the Minister to carry out a review of the operation of the Act not later than 5 years after the establishment day. While a limited review was conducted in 2007, a more comprehensive review is required now as Part Two of the Act only commenced in November 2006.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to review the Mental Health Act 2001 and in June 2011, I appointed a Steering Group to undertake the first phase of the review. The terms of reference for the initial phase of the review required the Steering Group to consider “the extent to which the recommendations of A Vision for Change could or should be underpinned by legislation”. This was done on the basis that the Mental Health Act 2001 which was enacted five years before the publication of AVFC does not reflect the significant changes in thinking about the delivery of mental health services that have taken place in the last ten years, such as the shift to community based services, the adoption of a recovery approach in every aspect of service delivery and the involvement of service users as partners in their own care and in the development of the service.
With the direct connection between the Mental Health Act and A Vision for Change, it makes sense that we finalise our work on the review of the Act before considering a review of Vision. I expect that the review of the Act will be completed and presented to me in quarter two of this year. In the interim, the HSE continues to implement A Vision for Change with substantial additional funding provided in 2012 and 2013, and reports on this on a monthly basis, through the HSE National Service Plan.
