‘Staggering’ decline in number CAMHS referrals accepted, says TD Ward

Newly released figures from the HSE shows that there has been a year-on-year decrease in the number of children who are referred to CAMHS who are accepted for treatment.

Sinn Fein’s spokesperson for health, TD Mark Ward was speaking following receiving an answer from a parliamentary question he tabled in the Dáil.

“In 2020, 72% of all referrals to CAMHS were accepted nationally. This has decreased to 56% today,” he said.

“There has a steady decline in the number of children who were referred to CAMHS who were accepted for treatment.

“In 2020 72% of all children referred to CAMHS were deemed eligible. This decreased to 65% in 2021 and further to 60% in 2022.

“The latest figures I have is that only 56% of referrals were accepted so far in 2023.

“The trajectory only seems to be going one way.

“There is also an element of postcode treatment in the provision of CAMHS services.

“In CHO Area 1, which includes Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan 72% of all referrals were accepted.

“However, in CHO Area 9, which includes Dublin North, Dublin North Central, and Dublin Northwest, only 49% of children referred were accepted for treatment.

“Treatment should be based on need, not on location.”

Deputy Ward says that there has been a “number of reports” into the operation of CAMHS and that they must “investigate if there is uniformity across all CHOs on how the operational guidelines for acceptance for CAMHS are operated.

“The very first operational guideline for CAMHS states it aims to ‘provide consistency in the service delivery of CAMHS throughout the country’.”

“This is obviously not happening, and these operational guidelines also need to be reviewed.

“I have asked the Minister to publish the reports into CAMHS and to put in place all the recommendations

“There needs to be changes within youth mental health, from top to bottom. Young people are being let down and left behind by Government and this cannot be allowed to continue.”