The Mental Health Commission has urged the Health Service Executive to speedily implement the recommendations of its recent report which found failings in the Child an Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Dr John Hillery, chairperson of the Mental Health Commission, told the Oireachtas Health Committee today that implementation of the recommendations cannot wait and independent monitoring of their implementation must be established immediately so that the public can be assured that steps are being taken to ensure the safe and comprehensive delivery of mental health services to children and young people.
In July, the review found that CAMHS cannot currently provide an assurance to parents or guardians that their children have access to a safe, effective and evidence-based service.
The report was conducted by Dr Susan Finnerty, the former Inspector of Mental Health Services.
She recommended the immediate and independent regulation of CAMHS by the Mental Health Commission, to ensure the State and the HSE act swiftly to implement the governance and clinical reforms needed and guarantee that all children have access to evidence-based safe services.
Dr Hillery said it is the strongly held view of the Commission that the HSE, with support from the Department of Health, must immediately start to put together a formal strategy for this restructure of CAMHS, and this must include how all the recommendations from Dr Finnerty's review will be addressed and how the implementation of the recommendations will be overseen.
The Committee also heard that nearly 4,000 children and young people were waiting to be seen by CAMHS in August this year.
This is a reduction of more than 400 compared to December 2022.
HSE National Director of Community Operations, David Walsh, said that nearly 22,000 referrals are received every year and 225,000 appointments are delivered.
He said the service is challenged by a growth in demand for services, staff retention issues and recruitment difficulties.
Between 2019 and 2022, referrals to CAMHS increased by 16%, with a 10% increase in appointments offered.
Fine Gael TD Colm Burke asked when a national director of mental heath services might be recruited as was recommended in the review.
Mr Walsh said that in 2015 a national director was appointed under the then HSE structures but that had now changed.
Currently, mental health reports into Mr Walsh along with other community-based care roups.
He said another process of change in structure is underway but he is not aware of an intention to appoint a specific director.
Mr Burke said Mr Walsh's area was a very wide one with community services alongside mental health.
