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Created: Thursday, 05 July 2018 09:43
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (P NA) today (Thursday ,5 th July ) welcomed the announcement of ten new Advanced Nurse Practitioner posts to work specifically in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) nationally. PNA has consistently called for the appointment of ANPs to carry out initial assessments of children and thereby relieve the current waiting lists for access to CAMHS services which have built up throughout the country.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said:
‘Today's announcement is a positive step in addressing the current CAMHS crisis in our mental health services. It is vital now that the appointment of these highly skilled ANPs, as insisted on by PNA and recommended by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care, is accompanied by the investment of significant extra resources in CAMHS nationally.'
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Created: Sunday, 24 June 2018 15:13
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Sunday, 24 th June) recent comments by the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly T.D. that online psychiatric consultations are the answer to meeting the soaring demanding for access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are misguided and completely ignore the potential role for Advanced Nurse Practitioners in assessing children for admission to CAMHS.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said Minister Daly appears to have adopted a defeatist attitude to the prospect of recruiting consultant psychiatrists and nurses into our mental health services, and instead has declared that he is to be a champion for online delivery of psychiatric assessment and referrals for services.
‘The Minister seems to be in denial as to the extent of the recruitment and retention crisis in our mental health services despite the clear evidence such as the exodus of consultant psychiatrists from the South East and six months of industrial action by psychiatric nurses in Waterford and Kilkenny in protest at under staffing and lack of services. Instead he is now to champion remote video and online delivery of complex mental health services.'
'Both the PNA and Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care in its Interim Report last December have proposed that in order to reduce waiting lists that Advanced Nurse Practitioners should be able to provide the initial assessment for access to CAMHS services.'
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Created: Wednesday, 13 June 2018 15:58
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) today (Weds. 13 th June)welcomed the decision by the HSE not to go ahead with a reduction in the number of beds in the new Acute Mental Health Admission Unit at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) which will be officially opened on June 30 th . This followed conciliation under auspices of WRC on 29/05/18 and acceptance of same by West Galway PNA Branch.
The PNA said the Unit will now comprise of 50 beds as originally planned instead of 45 beds as announced by the HSE earlier this year. The PNA had strongly opposed the proposed reduction in beds which was in violation of commitments given by the HSE following the closure of 22 beds in Ballinasloe.
PNA Industrial Relations Officer, Rory Kavanagh said:
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Created: Wednesday, 13 June 2018 14:04
Opening Statement - Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care
Recruiting Clinicians for Mental Health Services
June 13, 2018 - Mr Peter Hughes - Psychiatric Nurses Association
Introduction
Thank you for your invitation to address the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental on the topic of the processes involved in recruiting clinicians for Mental Health Services.
As you are aware there is a major crisis in the Recruitment and Retention of Nurses in the Mental Health Services. This has had a significant impact on the delivery of services resulting in for example:
• Inadequate Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services.
• Lack of properly resourced Community Teams
• No 24-7 Community Crisis Teams.
• 120% bed capacity in Admission Units resulting in the indignity of Service Users sleeping on chairs and mattresses in Kilkenny and Waterford Services.
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Created: Tuesday, 22 May 2018 10:39
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) today (Tuesday 22nd May) called for the introduction of Advanced Nurse Practitioners and the opening of a number of Day Hospitals throughout the country as a means of tackling the worsening crisis in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes, said a meeting of psychiatric nurses working in CAMHS from around the country has unanimously agreed that the HSE must introduce new measures to allow faster access to child and adolescent psychiatric services. The nurses met in response to new figures released last week which showed that the number of children and young people waiting over a year to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services increased by 10% between February and March with the overall waiting list for the service predicted to exceed 3,000 before the year's end if the current trend continues.
Mr Hughes said the figures confirm the experience of psychiatric nurses throughout the country that CAMHS are in chaos as a result of a under-staffing and under – resourcing.
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