HSE rules out ‘Kerry-style’ scandal over young people’s mental health services in Galway

Members of the HSE West Regional Health Forum were assured that a ‘Kerry-style’ CAMHS scandal would not engulf young people’s mental health services in Galway, Roscommon and Mayo.

Mandy Burke, Executive Clinical Director of Mental Health Services in Galway and Roscommon, confirmed that an independent review of the local CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) has not found any serious matters of concern.

Ms Burke told the latest meeting that the Mental Health Inspectorate had carried out an independent review of the service in ‘CHO2’, or Community Healthcare Organisation Area 2 which covers Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

Following that review, she said there were “no issues of concern escalated”.

This review, which was independent, will be published in May, she said.

Galway County Councillor Evelyn Parsons (Ind), who asked for an update on the review, said it was her understanding that the CAMHS service locally was understaffed.

Ms Burke agreed it was understaffed and the Mental Health Inspectorate was likely to flag that in its report, among other issues.

However, she again insisted there were no “clinical concerns” relating to the independent review of clinical cases of young people availing of the mental health services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

Separately, Ms Burke said that there was an internal, non-independent review of CAMHS being carried out by the HSE in CHO2.

Phase one of this had been completed and the second phase was underway. This related to patients not being seen within six months of a referral.

She said that the local service was awaiting direction from HSE nationally on how to proceed.

Cllr Parsons said it was welcome that there were no clinical issues of concern in the local CAMHS. But she said that the problem of understaffing needed to be addressed.

She added that the Mental Health Commission had no legal ability to enact any action. “It has no teeth except to highlight issues,” added Cllr Parsons.

The Maskey Report into South Kerry CAMHS, which was initiated after an investigation alleged over-prescribing of medication to children by a junior doctor, found hundreds of children in Kerry received substandard care.

The report found that significant harm was caused to 46 children due to inappropriate medication being prescribed, while treatment of a further 227 children was described as “risky”.