Call for mental health service reform

Amnesty International has called for a statutory obligation to be placed on the HSE to ensure implementation of the Government’s policy on mental health reform.

Legislation should be introduced to ensure accountability and “the progressive implementation of existing policy”, Amnesty director Colm O’Gorman said today.

Speaking following the publication of an Amnesty-sponsored report on the implementation of the Government's mental health reform policy, Mr O’Gorman said such services in Ireland are at “a critical juncture”.

The Accountability in the delivery of A Vision for Change report, by economic consultants Indecon International, was commissioned in partnership with the Irish Mental Health Coalition.

The report recommends the introduction of monitoring mechanisms to ensure implementation of existing Government policy.

Calling for the adoption of the recommendations, Mr O’Gorman said he was confident that the transformation of the mental health sector could be achieved. He said low levels of accountability led to a lack of understanding of the impact changes made on in-house services.

Mr O’Gorman was critical of current staffing levels and an “over-reliance” on acute in-patient care.

At the end of 2008, the HSE was short of 1,000 staff in mental health services and lost a further 700 staff in 2009, he said. There was also “a lack of efficiency and transparency” of where money is being spent.

Mr O’Gorman said implementation of the Government’s 2006 plan to reform mental health services remains “severely” behind schedule.

“Because the HSE is not required to account for expenditure on a care group basis we don’t know if we are getting value for the investment in mental health services and we don’t know how spending cuts are impacting upon services," he said.

“We can no longer afford to fly blind with regard to mental health services spending”, added Mr O’Gorman

He said the Amnesty-sponsored report sets out “the clear link” between the allocation of resources and the implementation of policy and the achievement of better health services.