Camhs problems can be helped by consultants accepting new contract, Stephen Donnelly says

Problems in the State’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) can be better addressed if two organisations representing senior doctors agree to sign-up to a new contract for consultants, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has claimed.

An interim report by the Mental Health Commission this week identified a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of children accessing the service, including 140 young people with open cases who had “been lost to follow-up”.

The report also noted poor monitoring of medication in the system; children waiting days in emergency departments for psychiatric care; staff being exhausted, overwhelmed and inadequately supervised; psychiatrists not trained to work with children being employed in Camhs; and poor risk management and clinical governance within the service.

People working in the service say they fear the serious shortcomings identified will continue and even worsen in the period up to 2030 as shortages of psychiatrists become more acute.

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However, Mr Donnelly said the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association could help to solve problems within it if they accept the new consultants’ contract.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland and Newstalk Breakfast, the Minister said the organisations “can help get more consultants” by taking the contract on offer “on board”.

The contract was finalised in December after lengthy negotiations and the Government agreed to give medical organisations two months to consult their members on it. Health authorities hope the deal can unlock the appointment of hundreds of consultants to fill posts currently vacant across the country and that its extended working hours would allow for greater rostering of consultants during evenings and weekends.

The doctors’ organisations have not yet backed the new contract and have warned Mr Donnelly not to proceed with it without their agreement.

The Minister on Tuesday said the contract was generous and attractive, the organisations had “got a lot” through hard negotiations and that their endorsement would help the health service to achieve more.

He said the contract would help in terms of hiring consultants to address the issues within Camhs and that the appointment of a national clinical lead to the service could ensure consistency across the country and a fully integrated system.

Mr Donnelly said he and Minister of State Mary Butler were determined that the issues raised in the commission’s report would be addressed and responded to.

He said a review being conducted into open cases in Camhs would be completed within six months and that change was already happening.