Sex assault treatment units to get increases in staffing and funding

Investment and staffing at the State’s sexual assault treatment units are to be expanded next year in response to growing demand for their services.

Minister for Health Simon Harris is expected to announce today an additional €500,000 in funding for the units, as well as the appointment of additional forensic nurse and medical examiners.

For the first time, “rapid responder” forensic examiners will be able to travel to patients in their local unit if there are staff shortages.

There are currently six units in operation at Dublin, Cork, Galway, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Waterford.

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The unit at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin was the first in Europe when it opened in 1985.

Some 941 people visited a unit in 2017 and two-thirds went on to report a rape or sexual assault to the gardaí.

Policy review

A policy review to be published today calls for increased resourcing to ensure a sustainable service into the future, and the introduction of a more holistic care for patients over the long term.

It says staff supports should be increased to resolve systemic under-management and greater uniformity of services needs to be introduced.

The review compliments the “extraordinary commitment” of staff in very challenging contexts and the “positive patient perspective and experience” of the units.

From next year, the scope of the services is to be expanded to give patients the option for liaison support after their visit to a unit, while investment is projected to increase by a further €250,000 to €800,000.

One out of every 10 patients attending the unit is a man while one in two is aged under 25.