Most people committed to psychiatric units will be prevented from appealing against their detention until after they have been discharged, under proposed legislation, says Schizophrenia Ireland.
The Mental Health Bill proposes that new mental health tribunals would review all detention orders within 28 days. If they believe a person should not have been detained they can order his or her release.
But, says Schizophrenia Ireland, "this is wholly inappropriate given the fact that 71 per cent of involuntarily detained patients are discharged within one month of treatment. It would seem to render the tribunal process meaningless with the exception of a small number of cases."
Bodies the Bill proposes to establish to protect patients could be too heavily weighted in favour of professionals, it warns in its latest newsletter.
The mental health tribunals will each consist of two people, a consultant psychiatrist and a legal assessor. "It is imperative that there also be a third party on this tribunal," it says.
The Mental Health Commission will have 10 members and it is essential that consumers and carers are adequately represented on it, Schizophrenia Ireland says. The commission will promote good practice and refer cases to the tribunals.
The body complains that the proposed post of Inspector of Mental Health Services will be filled by a consultant psychiatrist. "It is inappropriate that a professional, working within the services, should then be required to inspect those services," it says. The newsletter also complains that the need for supported accommodation for people with mental illness "goes almost wholly unrecognised by local authorities and the Government".
The Minister for Health and Children yesterday promised a better mental health service for people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Mr Martin announced a £30,000 grant to enable a national study to be done on the prevalence of ADD, which means a child has a very short attention span.
He added that children and adults with ADD "have particular service needs" and said he intends "to make particular provision for these requirements as part of the overall development of child and adolescent psychiatric and adult mental health services over the next few years".
Weblink, Schizophrenia Ireland: http://www.iol.ie/lucia/