Standards of care will deteriorate unless mental health posts filled, watchdog warns

The State’s mental health service watchdog has warned that standards of care will deteriorate unless promised community mental health posts are filled.

Chairman of the Mental Health Commission John Saunders said today only a third of the 414 posts due to be hired during 2012 to strengthen community services were in place at the end of the year.

Most of these post have since been filled, but a backlog is threatening to delay the appointment of a further 400 posts this year.

In addition, he said there was evidence to show that staff were being pulled out of community services to plug gaps in hospitals or residential units.

He warned that a lack of multi-disciplinary community services would lead to poorer services and undermining outcomes for patients.

“There is a real danger that standards will fall unless these posts are filled promptly,” Mr Saunders said.

“We have incomplete mental health teams trying to provide multi-disciplinary care. It’s many cases, they’re football teams with half their players missing.”

The commission also expressed concern at “slippage” in the compliance of services with their legal obligation to provide quality services.

While many services performed well, the commission used its legal powers to attach conditions to the registration of nine psychiatric services last year.

These included a failure on the part of services to have individual care plans for patients and respecting clients’ privacy.

If these issues are not resolved, the commission has the power to de-register, or close down, a service.

Six of the nine centres have since tackled these shortcomings in care standards.

On a more positive note, the commission reported considerable progress in the closure of outdated and inappropriate asylum-type institutions.

There were a total of 394 beds remaining in such settings at the end of last year, down from 24,000 in the late 1980s.

“However, this will only work to the benefit of patients if appropriate community services developed to replace these in-patients beds,” Mr Saunders added