Carol Nolan: Calls report a 'line in the sand' for mental health
Carol Nolan spoke on 31 Jan 2023 about the Mental Health Commission report, saying it should be the 'line in the sand' for improving acute psychological and psychiatric services. She warned that the State's response to such reports, including the Grace case and the treatment of whistleblowers, gives little reason for optimism.
Main message
Carol Nolan argued the Mental Health Commission report must be a turning point and a benchmark for improving acute psychological and psychiatric services, and that the report should mark a clear line in the sand for reform.
Unacceptable variation in care
She highlighted the report's finding of unacceptable variations in care across and within CHO areas, citing a postcode lottery in service delivery. Nolan noted some teams can provide treatment for eating disorders with family-based therapy, dietetics, cognitive and behavioural therapy and ready access to inpatient beds, while others cannot due to lack of resources.
Local service concerns
Speaking from constituency experience, she said HSC services delivering complex care to children and young adults with a mental and physical disability in Leesha-Noffley are experiencing a significant staff vacancy crisis. She also raised ongoing delays at the primary care centre in Bower and urged the minister to make progress on that facility.
Review process and whistleblowers
Nolan expressed fear that once the review of all CHOs is complete there may be another scandal of similar magnitude. She drew attention to what happens to whistleblowers within state-run organisations who attempt to highlight systematic failures.
Closing remarks
She concluded by reiterating the need for action on the report's recommendations, urging progress on local primary care infrastructure and thanking colleagues.
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important issue here this evening. The report by the Mental Health Commission should be the line in the sand that we need in terms of improving acute psychological and psychiatric services. Unfortunately, there is nothing in our history in terms of the response of the State to reports of this kind that gives me or others any hope in this regard. We need only to look at the Grace case in that regard, and in particular what happened in this regard. what happens to whistleblowers within state-run organisations who attempt to highlight systematic failures. My fear is that once the review of all CHOs is complete, we will be back here again in a short time to discuss yet again another scandal of this kind and this magnitude. The report notes unacceptable variations in care that has been delivered. Some services can offer, for example, treatment for eating disorders with family-based therapy, dietetics, dietetics and cognitive and behavioural therapy, with ready access to inpatient beds if required. Other teams cannot offer such a service due to the lack of resources. The report also notes that not only is there variation in terms of the delivery of care across the country, but there is also considerable variations of care within a CHO area. It is difficult, as the report observes, to see this as anything as possible. The postcode lottery. The postcode lottery is something that we in rural Ireland are only too well aware of. Within my own constituency, HSC services that deliver high levels of complex care to children and young adults with a mental and physical disability in Leesha-Noffley are experiencing a significant staff vacancy crisis. I have raised that here before. I also see delays in terms of our primary care centre in Bower. All of that has a knock-on effect for children, but I do hope there will be progress in regard to the primary care centre very soon, Minister. I will end on that note. Thank you. Thank you.
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