WAITING lists for mental health supports for children and young adults in the Mid West have been slashed by more than a third since 2021 with no child waiting more than 12 months for services.
That’s according to a reply from the HSE to a question raised at this month’s Regional Health Forum West meeting concerning waiting lists and access to treatment from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Updated information about the service was provided in answer to a question from Clare Forum member Cllr Mary Howard (FG) who asked for current figures on waiting lists for CAMHS services in the Mid West.
Cllr Howard said her query was prompted by a recent report conducted by the Mental Health Commission.
“This report found that some children had no key worker to ensure arrangements were in place for follow up, this followed unplanned leave of a senior clinician, use of unregistered locums, long waiting lists, etc,” she said.
In response, Maria Bridgeman, Chief Officer at HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, said that “HSE Mid West Community Healthcare acknowledges that there have been deficits in the provision of CAMHS and I wish to apologise to children and families who have not received the standard of care that they or we expect”.
“The delivery of a high-quality CAMHS service to the children and young people of Clare, Limerick, and North Tipperary is a priority for HSE Mid West Community Healthcare. We have made, and are making, significant investments in the service”.
Ms Bridgeman said that in 2022, at the time of the review on which the report was based, all consultants in CAMHS Mid West worked just part time.
“In the intervening period, CAMHS Mid West has been successful in recruiting an additional 2.6 whole time equivalent CAMHS-registered consultants for the service,” she said.
“This strengthens medical governance and increases availability for children to access the service for assessment and treatment. It has also supported a reduction in CAMHS waiting lists.”
There are now no children waiting a year or more for services, Cllr Howard was told.
Of the 63 children on the current waiting list, 34 have waited less than three months, 15 waited three to six months, and 12 waited six to nine months.
In addition, the forum members were told that CAMHS Mid West accepts the highest rate of children and young people into the service on first referral and has the shortest waiting list for those living with eating disorders.
It was also reported that CAMHS Mid West exceeds national targets in the numbers of children and young people seen.
