Monaghan County Council is to write back to the HSE asking for a direct comparison of emergency mental health services in the Cavan Monaghan Hospital Group and at Sligo University Hospital, and a timeframe for bringing local services up to Sligo's standard, the Anglo-Celt reports.
The proposal came from Sinn Féin Cllr Bronagh McAree at the Council's October meeting, after she said the HSE's reply to her earlier motion "didn't answer her question". Fine Gael Cllr Peter Conlon backed it.
What she asked for
In September, Cllr McAree called for parity at Cavan General Hospital, which, like Sligo, is a Model 3 hospital, Northern Sound reported. She sought a properly staffed seven-day liaison service, appropriate out-of-hours cover and a dedicated space in the Emergency Department for people in a mental health crisis. "We're not asking for much, we're just asking for Cavan Monaghan Hospital to be treated equally," she said.
What the HSE said
The HSE's Integrated Service Lead at Cavan, Su-Zann O'Callaghan, wrote that people in a mental health crisis can attend Cavan General Hospital's Emergency Department 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with access to acute psychiatric assessment. She said a liaison team is available 9am to 5pm, five days a week, with out-of-hours psychiatry cover seven days a week.
She added that two home-based treatment teams in Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Services "deliver a rapid crisis response in the community", and that GPs can refer directly to a suicide community assessment nurse.
"More than assurances"
"Stating that the ED is open 24 hours a day doesn't mean that a dedicated mental health support service is there 24 hours a day," Cllr McAree said. "A person experiencing suicidal thoughts needs urgent assessment in a safe and private environment. Patients in crisis deserve more than assurances from the HSE."
She also backed a Carlow County Council resolution asking Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and the HSE to review the admission policy for patients presenting at EDs with suicidal ideation or acute mental health distress.
If you need support now, contact your GP, go to your nearest Emergency Department, or call Samaritans free on 116 123.
