Tag Archives: CAMHS

  Major shortcomings in the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in the Mid-West have prompted an apology from the HSE. Serious concerns about the capacity of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to provide a safe service for young people in the region with mental health issues have been highlighted in a new report completed by the Mental Health Commission (MHC). Responding to the Commission’s critical report, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare stated it acknowledges deficits in the provision of CAMHS and apologises to children and families who have not received the standard of care that they or they expect. The HSE outlined it continues to progress a targeted series of service improvements in Mid- West CAMHS. The number of children waiting for a mental health appointment in West Clare has increased sevenfold in the last year up from 12 at the time of inspection in June 2022 to 91 in February 2023. The waiting list …

MENTAL health services for young people in Clare are already deeply flawed, and could get much worse with many stressed and disillusioned staff hoping to quit, a new survey shows. The internal staff survey of workers in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in this county shows that 94% of respondents felt the Clare CAMHS clinical environment is not suitable for the support of young people. Worryingly, 100% of those surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that a shortage of clinical space is putting the children supported by the service at risk. All of the respondents also held the view that poor staff retention is putting not only those who do access the services at risk, but also the children who are left on waiting lists. “We need more clinic space to be able to offer appointments to young people. Rushing people out of an appointment because there is someone waiting to come in, or not being able to …

FOUR young Clare people were waiting between nine and 12 months for an appointment with the Child And Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), new figures have revealed. These figures were released to Councillor Mary Howard following a question tabled at a recent HSE West Forum meeting. Councillor Howard said it is worrying that the four children are waiting between nine and 12 months for a CAMHS appointment. She inquired what is the knock-on impact of being on a waiting list for CAMHS due to the lack of staff. Last April, 45 young people in Clare were awaiting a CAMHS appointment. From this total, 19 were waiting up to three months, 12 from three to six months, 10 from six to nine months and four from nine to twelve months. Maria Bridgeman, Chief Officer, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, said it is always their intention to provide children with the best possible service they can provide. While someone may be on …

THERE has been a 33% hike in the number of young Clare people waiting for appointments from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) over the last three years, according to newly published HSE figures. The health authority was asked at the HSE West Forum by Councillor Cillian Murphy to provide a breakdown of the number of young Clare people awaiting appointments with CAMHS for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The Fianna Fáil Councillor was told that the total number of Clare people waiting for this service increased from 61 at the end of 2019 to 82 at the end of 2021. At the end of 2019, 43 children and adolescents were waiting up to three months; 14 were waiting from three to six months; three were waiting six to nine months and one was waiting nine to 12 months. The numbers waiting at the end of 2020 increased to 74 with 31 waiting up to three months; …