James Browne
Ceist:267. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the timeline to address staffing shortages in mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14552/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 29 March 2018
Ceisteanna (267)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to increasing the Mental Health budget annually, as shown by the substantial additional funding of some €200 million provided for mental health from 2012 to 2018.
Since 2012, over 1,550 additional posts have been approved to strengthen Community Mental Health Teams. These posts are directly facilitating the policy of moving away from traditional institutional based care to a patient-centred, flexible and community based mental health service.
I recognise that there are particular difficulties recruiting mental health staff at present and related workforce challenges. Psychiatry is a specialty where there are significant worldwide shortages and international competition for our doctors and nurses.
We have responded to the recruitment difficulties in a number of ways.
In Budget 2018, funding was provided for an additional 130 Undergraduate Psychiatric Nurse training places per year. This will help to increase the number of nurses in the mental health system. In addition, we have provided funding for 114 Assistant Psychologist and 20 Psychologist posts in the Primary Care Mental Health Services. The HSE is currently in the process of recruiting these psychology posts. The introduction of this grade will help to alleviate some of the pressures in CAMHs.
Recruitment of nurses is a key priority this year. The HSE has committed to offering permanent contracts to all graduate nurses, including mental health nurses. These contracts are being offered as part of the 2017 Nursing and Midwifery Agreement, reached with the INMO and SIPTU. This Agreement has a particular focus on addressing recruitment and retention of nursing and midwifery posts. This Agreement followed an agreement with the Psychiatric Nurses Association and SIPTU in summer 2016 that also includes a range of measures aimed at improving psychiatric nursing staffing levels. Very extensive and detailed work was undertaken throughout 2017 and continues into 2018 to implement these Agreements.
The Public Service Pay Commission identified problems in recruitment and retention in specific and specialist groups that are internationally in demand particularly in the health sector. The Commission is currently undertaking a more comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in those sectors and employment streams where difficulties are clearly evident, including psychiatry. The Commission is committed to reporting on medical and nursing grades mid-year. The outcome of its assessment will be subject to discussions between the relevant parties.