The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Monday, 14 th May) that the latest figures for the number of children and young people waiting over a year to see the state's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are extremely disappointing and confirm the PNA's assessment that the delivery of CAMHS services throughout the country is chaotic as a result of a understaffing and under – resourcing.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care in its Interim Report in December last had proposed that in order to reduce waiting lists that nurses should be able to provide the initial assessment for access to CAMHS services.
‘The PNA believes this role should be at Advanced Nurse Practitioner level and as such could have a significant impact on reducing the long waiting lists that are now a permanent, and growing feature, of CAMHS. Without an adequate response on the lines advocated by the Joint Oireachtas Committee and the PNA, supported by appropriate staffing and resources, then the crisis in the delivery of CAMHS services revealed in the figures published today will continue'.
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Derek Cunningham
086-2430535