Sir, - Vincent Browne has raised the issue of mental health care in your columns and he is right to do so (Opinion, November 17th, December 1st). Those of us involved in its provision believe it is something which has been scandalously overlooked by successive Governments for far too long.
Vincent Browne was a willing and valued participant when we recently launched a publicity campaign attempting to erase the stigma which a great many people attach to mental illness. However, in his most recent article he is in danger of substituting one stigma for another by, at best, casting doubt on our professional and ethical standards and, at worst, accusing us of malpractice.
His article focuses on certain aspects of the recently released report of the Inspector for Mental Hospitals for 1998. He is right to say that there is no point in having a report if nobody pays attention but he is wrong to assume that we, as a professional body, feel no concern about some of the findings.
However, faced with current legislative and financial barriers, we cannot respond alone. To respond adequately requires Government support and funding which, to date, has been singularly lacking.
That is why, rather than simply waiting for a report of similar tone every year, the Irish Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists now proposes that, with the agreement of the Minister for Health, we be permitted to work formally with the Inspector of Mental Hospitals and the Department of Health to produce a funded strategic plan for an equitable distribution of psychiatric services for all Irish citizens requiring psychiatric care.
We would also urge that the proposed Mental Health Act should be published in its entirety as soon as possible since current mental health legislation is 50 years out of date. Only by action like this will there be the improvement in the quality of psychiatric health care that we would all wish to see. - Yours, etc.,
Dr G.J. Calvert, Chairman, Royal College of Psychiatrists, (Irish Division), St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.