The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) is to call on the HSE to pause a proposal to close a ten-bed Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) unit in Dublin.
The growing pressures on the CAMHS service, and recruitment and retention of staff in the sector will be among the main topics discussed at the PNA's annual delegate conference in Cavan today.
General Secretary of the PNA Peter Hughes will address up to 200 delegates, where he will raise what he calls the "inconceivable" proposed closure of the ten-bed CAMHS Unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Fairview.
Mr Hughes said the plan comes at a time when just 50 CAMHS beds are currently operational nationally, and while the Government's mental health strategy recommends 100 beds.
He will also raise concerns about staffing pressures at another 11-bed unit that is due to reopen in Linn Dara, Cherry Orchard, later this year, after it closed four years ago due to staff shortages.
Concerns that recruitment and retention of psychiatric nurses may impact the ability to open the planned 20 CAMHS beds in the new National Children's Hospital will also be raised.
In a statement, the HSE confirmed the CAMHS Unit at St Vincent's Hospital in Fairview would close, with the last admission of patients in the third quarter of 2026.
The HSE said that there would be no staff redundancies and that the transition was expected to create new opportunities for staff currently working in Fairview including at Linn Dara and the National Children's Hospital.
"Capacity will be enhanced through the expansion at Linn Dara, including the opening of an additional 11 beds, alongside 20 newly commissioned beds at the Children's Health Ireland (CHI) campus," the statement said.
Impact of the fuel crisis on mental health nurses
The PNA conference will also hear of the affect that mounting fuel costs is having on nurses who are delivering mental health services within the community.
Mr Hughes said that a request for mileage to be paid at the highest band for the period of the crisis has been referred by the HSE to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and that a decision is awaited.
He said it is hoped the PNA will "not be forced to escalate the matter", describing the issue as "urgent", that "must be acknowledged and solutions put in place".
