Plan for mental health patients unravelling
Issued : Wednesday 23 June, 2010
"The case for retaining St Michael’s Acute Mental Unit in Clonmel strengthened last week after the Mental Health Commission (MHC) called a halt to admissions to three psychiatric hospitals.
"The news means the HSE’s plan for mental health patients is unravelling.
"There was a clear recognition from the HSE, the Minister for Mental Health, the MHC and mental health groups that there are not enough acute facilities in the State, following the announcement that
St Brendan’s and St Ita’s in Dublin and St Senan’s in Enniscorthy do not meet minimum care standards."There are concerns about where new admissions will be accommodated particularly those at St Senan’s because there is not enough room in the acute mental unit at Waterford Regional hospital.
"According to the HSE’s plan for closing Clonmel, there is a 45-bed unit in Kilkenny available. But the community services have not been rolled out there so this unit is also at full capacity.
"I have argued for some time that it is neither justified nor practical to direct patients from Clonmel to Kilkenny. But now another strong argument for retaining St Michael’s has emerged.
"A facility to replace Enniscorthy is required but there is currently no chance it will be ready before acute admission cease early next year. Kilkenny seems the best alternative in the interim but there is no room there either.
"This means Kilkenny definitely does not have room for St Michael’s patients.
"The plan to move about 25 patients from St Michael’s is not going to work anyway because the community services needed are a long way from being ready.
"The HSE’s calculations are also flawed because St Michael’s is almost always operates at 110% capacity – there are currently 56 patients in the 49-bed unit.
"It is becoming evident that the HSE’s plans to meet its legal obligations to mental health patients are unravelling. As Dr Siobhan Barry from the College of Psychiatry of Ireland has pointed out, there is just not enough acute in-patient capacity in our system.
"That makes the decision to close St Michael’s even more foolhardy.
"The only sensible option for the HSE now is to rescind the decision to close St Michael’s and instead carry out the works needed to make it fit for purpose while concentrating on rolling out community services nationwide."
