An audit of waiting times for access to mental services in the North Eastern area is urgently required, according to an independent report commissioned after a mental patient committed murder hours after being refused admission to a psychiatric hospital in Co Louth.
The recommendation is contained in the report of the Independent Review Group estabished to examine implications arising from the contacts David Brennan had with Health Board services before he murdered his baby nephew, 17-month old Jack Everitt Brennan.
During Brennan's trial, where he was found guilty but insane, his mother said that on the night of the murder she had brought her son to St Brigid's Psychiatric Hospital in Ardee, but had been unable to commit him.
She said she had been forced to bring him home, four hours after which, he strangled his nephew.
Brennan, it emerged during his trial in February, had a history of drug abuse and suffered from paranoid delusions and hallucinations.
The report, which was published earlier today also recommended that any shortcomings in the services should be addressed as a matter of urgency. The Review Group recommends that staffing levels be reviewd and that a method of screening and prioritization of new referrals should be implemented immediately.
Furthermore, the report says, a dedicated new referral clinic should be created to speed up new referrals to the service.
The North Eastern Health Board has welcomed the report. Assistant CEO Mr Geoff Day said that board had "carefully noted the report's recommendations" and said they were being considered by a working group to implement and any necessary changes.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- appropriate community support should be put in place for patients who are offered admission to hospital but who decline the offer.
- a consultant psychiatrist should be given the formal role of liaison psychiatrist with the addiction services.
- GP referrals should be acknowledged within one week of receipt and the likely waiting time should be indicated to the GP.
- there should be a policy in place to ensure that when an adverse event occurs, a formal review is undertaken by the mental health services.