The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has today (Monday 18 th September) called on the HSE to take a number of specific follow up actions in the wake of the publication two weeks ago of a damning Review of Roscommon Mental Health Services. The PNA said its' members have raised a number of serious concerns at meetings last week to consider the Review.
PNA General Secretary has now written to the HSE setting out these concerns and demanding a number of follow up actions by the HSE.
Mr Hughes said PNA has absolutely no confidence in the Implementation Group established to give effect to the Review's recommendations.
‘How can our members have confidence in an Implementation Group that includes some of the Senior Managers referenced in the Review when the report clearly states of the same Senior Managers that “leadership at a number of levels appeared to be ineffective.” , and finds they did not implement recommendations by the Mental Health Commission. In light of these findings it is inconceivable that the same managers would be part of the Implementation Group'.
PNA is now demanding that the proposed Implementation Group is:
- Independently chaired
- Does not include Senior Managers who were in place during the period of review
- Staff representatives are included in the membership of the Group.
Mr Hughes said the Roscommon Review further highlighted the depletion of nursing posts and the over emphasis on budget constraints to the extent that €17.67 million was bizarrely returned to the HSE. The Review concludes that “ the service was excessively focussed on this (i.e. strong financial focus) to the detriment of its staff's working conditions, patient care and staff safety.''
Mr Hughes said staff are rightly outraged at these findings, and are now demanding that the €17.67 million be returned to the service to ensure that it is developed in line with Vision for Change , providing robust clinical governance, which has been absent, and ensuring that a safe, quality comprehensive service is provided for the Roscommon Community.
On the issue of accountability for the litany of failings identified in the Review, Mr Hughes said the HSE must determine who is going to be held accountable for this “ ineffective leadership” which resulted in the undermining of the standard and safety of services to both staff and patients in their care.
‘PNA believe that the ineffective and mismanagement of the service on the scale revealed in the Roscommon Review must be the subject of a further thorough investigation.'
Media Contacts: Derek Cunningham 086-2430535
