‘Average of 30 people being refused mental health services weekly’

As HSE figures reveal some 1,320 people having a mental health crisis were turned away from the Cross Lanes Psychiatric facility in Drogheda last year, a Meath councillor has warned there is a life-threatening crisis in psychiatric services for Louth and Meath.

Cllr Alan Lawes was appalled to hear so many who sought treatment at the facility at Cross Lanes in Drogheda were turned away without treatment and said he was aware of at least one person who had taken their own life having been turned away.

He also pointed out that there are no in-patient psychiatric beds in Meath with the Drogheda facility catering for both Louth and Meath patients.

"All the literature from the HSE and from the government tell us to speak up and ask for help when we have a mental health crisis. Yet the local service provider, Drogheda Department of Psychiatry, turned 1320 people away who were experiencing a mental health crisis last year.

"As a local councillor, I received a number of complaints from constituents who had experienced a mental health crisis, sought help in Drogheda, and were turned away with no alternative offer of support.

"After receiving the complaints, I asked the regional HSE forum how many people had been turned away from our mental health services in our region after asking for help.

"While I have received an answer from the Department of Psychiatry in Drogheda I have yet to receive a proper answer from the Cavan-Monaghan and the Dublin North County and the Dublin North and West Psychiatric services.

"What we do know is that the psychiatric services in the country are grossly underfunded and in dire need of investment and reorganisation with extra beds being a priority before we have to read about another local tragedy."

Cllr Lawes said the figures show 1,320 had been turned away after assessment, while a further 283 left before they were seen.

"That works out at roughly 30 people a week, leaving without any treatment.

"The question is why were they turned away? I firmly believe it was because there weren't beds available. There are just 46 psychiatric beds for Louth and Meath. This is a life threatening crisis. Surely under the treatment purchase fund, beds could be found in private facilities. I'm sure if someone with private health insurance was turned away from Cross Lanes they would manage to get treatment in a private hospital."

Cllr Lawes said there is a very good facility in Navan, the Cara Suite, but patients need to be referred to it by their doctor.

"For those who have been referred, although the facility is just open five days a week, patients have the option at weekends to contact the professionals familiar with their cases by phone over the weekend,"

In response to queries from Cllr Lawes, the HSE pointed out there are 46 acute mental health in-patient beds in the Drogheda Department of Psychiatry for the population of Louth and Meath (360,000).

"Cavan Monaghan Mental Health Service (CMMHS) has well-established community mental health teams in place since 1998 which has enabled rationalising of services from bed-based provision to increased community based provision, with hospital avoidance, reduced length of stays and an increase in the ability to manage service users with long-term mental illnesses within their own home.

"There are 20 staffed residential beds in Cavan Monaghan rehabilitation service. A further three beds are out of commission due to a minor capital project to substantially upgrade the property. Dublin North County and Dublin North City and West currently have 257 community residential beds available across Integrated Health Areas of Dublin North County and Dublin North City with varying levels of support including low, medium, and high support options," according to the HSE response.