Almost one-fifth of medical card patients on a waiting list for a public counselling appointment have been waiting for six months or more, new figures show.
Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) is a free service established in July 2013 as a mental health initiative to provide counselling to adults experiencing mild to moderate psychological difficulties.
All adults with a medical card are eligible for CIPC, with access by referral from a general practitioner or member of a primary care team.
Figures obtained by The Irish Times under Freedom of Information laws found there were 4,358 people on a waiting list for CIPC across the State as at the end of July. Of those, a total of 791 people have been waiting for six months or longer, representing 18 per cent.
The figure does not include those waiting in the Laois/Offaly or Longford/Westmeath areas, which did not provide figures.
The waiting lists varied across the country, with lower numbers of people waiting in what are typically more affluent areas of the country. This would largely relate to the number of people in receipt of medical cards in these areas, but also to do with a person’s ability to pay for private care.
The Dublin South City and West, Dublin South West and Kildare West Wicklow region had the lowest waiting list at 275 people. The region that includes Carlow Kilkenny, Tipperary South and Waterford Wexford had the highest waiting list at 704.
Ber Grogan, policy and research manager of Mental Health Reform, said there is a two-tier mental health system in Ireland.
“Those who can pay for the care that they need can pay for the care they need. Those who can’t afford to pay will go on a waiting list,” she said.
[ Mental health funding ‘piecemeal, inadequate and short-sighted’, charities sayOpens in new window ]
Often when people seek an appointment for counselling it is at a point of “crisis”, said Ms Grogan.
“It’s great that we’re telling people it’s okay not to be okay or to ask for help. But we have to make sure that the services are there for people where and when they need it,” she said. “And they should be tailored to them; it’s not going to be a one size fits all depending on the mental health difficulty.”
A spokeswoman for the HSE said the programme will receive an additional €2 million in funding next year “which will help to address waiting times and enhance access to services”.
“CIPC is a demand-led service with the counselling contract offered based on the assessed needs of the client. All referrals to CIPC are screened and every effort is made to see clients for counselling as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the level of demand does impact on waiting times,” she added.
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