Limerick children can face two month wait for a mental health assessment

YOUNG people availing of mental health services in Limerick wait on average two months from referral to assessment.

In the report into the national Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) released last week, data shows those seeking Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Limerick and Clare face an average wait time of 72 days, from the moment they are referred to a service to when they get assessed. Nationwide, the average waiting time is of three months.

The report published by The Mental Health Commission contains a total of 49 recommendations, including for the Limerick area.

The Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty, said that she cannot provide an assurance to all parents in Ireland that their children have access to a safe, effective and evidence-based mental health service.

The inspector found that the issue of access to CAMHS, or any mental health service for a child, was causing “profound” distress and frustration to parents who “expressed concern at how their child deteriorated while waiting for an assessment.”

Dr Finnerty said: “Parents did not know where they can get help and information about services for their child and felt that a crisis needed to be reached before appropriate services are offered to them, or that they have to battle with services before help is provided.”

Even though the HSE targeted improvements to solve some of the issues, the inspector states in the report that it is a major concern that there are ongoing and serious deficits in CAMHS which is increasing the risk to children and young people.

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In a statement, the HSE said: “This report comes after a long process which HSE Mid West Community Healthcare was happy to engage in and it will support the ongoing service improvement within CAMHS which aims to enhance the experience of children, young people and families who need our support.

“The delivery of a high-quality CAMHS service to the 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.”

They commented: “We welcome that the MHC has acknowledged that many young people and their families have received excellent care and treatment within CAMHS.

“We are also pleased to see that the report acknowledges the hard work and dedication of staff who work in this complex area while dealing with increasing demand for services. HSE Mid West Community Healthcare actively engages with staff to support them in their work, and to develop and deliver a high-quality CAMHS service for children and young people across the Mid West.

“The HSE acknowledges deficits in the provision of the current CAMHS service. We are genuinely sorry for anyone who has had a bad experience of our services. We continue to make further service improvements in the mental health services provided in the Mid West to children and adolescents.”

The CAMHS report provides results from an independent audit of all 75 CAMHS teams across the country, from July to December 2021.