Surge capacity needed for mental health emergency says local TD

Dublin Mid West TD Mark Ward says he has asked the Government to provide surge capacity within private mental health hospitals to deal with the increased demand on mental health services during the pandemic. 

Deputy Ward, who is Sinn Féin spokesperson for Mental Health, stated that Ireland has gone from “a mental health crisis to a mental health emergency under this Government.”

“The Government and the HSE have entered into “surge capacity” deal with private hospitals,” Deputy Ward said.

“The deal between the HSE and other private hospitals will allow the health service to use, depending on the incidence of Covid-19, up to 30% of the private hospitals’ capacity.

“I am not surprised that the Government have failed to deliver the same deal when it comes to mental health provision.

“Late last year the Government announced its Winter plan for health.

“At no point did this plan refer to mental health despite the stakeholders warning that we are amid a mental health tsunami.”

Deputy Ward says he has written to Minister Mary Butler and asked if there was any consideration to provide private mental health care to public patients given the unprecedented amount of people presenting with mental health issues arising from this pandemic.

“This would take pressure of our public hospital who are dealing with the Covid emergency, in addition to providing essential care for people who are suffering with their mental health,” Deputy Ward said.

“The fact is the people suffering from mental health problems are still arriving to the A & E departments as they have no other service available to them.

“A & E is not right environment for anyone suffering a mental health episode.

“We need to have 24/7 access to emergency mental health care.

“I also asked the Minister to consider providing  a mental health homecare package to public patients and to use private hospital to provide this, similar to the “Homecare Package” provided to patients of St Patricks University Hospital.

“This service employs multidisciplinary teams that have adapted to provide mental health care within the Community whilst adhering to the public health guidelines.

“Ireland went from having one the highest rates of mental health beds in the world in the 1980s to the lowest now.

“Moving away from the dark days of intuitional like treatment for mental health is welcome however Fianna Fail and Fine Gael governments have failed to  resource community based mental health services to meet rising demands.

“They have failed spectacularly.

“Funding for mental health as a percentage of the overall health budget, has fallen from 16% during the 1980s to 7% in 2020 and further to 6% in 2021.

“During  a national emergency  it is a scandal that the percentage allocated for mental health fell.”