Mentally ill children wait 18 months for assessment

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12 December 2006

Mentally ill children wait 18 months for assessment

By Conor

UP to 150 mentally ill children have had their treatment stopped and

will have to wait 18 months to be reassessed because there was no

replacement when their doctor left the service.

The children, from Carlow and Kilkenny, have been left to their own

devices since their community psychologist took leave of his post in

April. The children will also have another delay before their

treatment programmes can continue.

Donna Hayden's son, Dylan, nine, is one of the Kilkenny children

involved. He has had his six years of treatment suspended since

April and his mother said her son is suffering. " When the doctor

left in April (the Health Service Executive) rang everybody, but

since then there has been nobody there to monitor the children's

treatment. We have just been left to cope on our own with no

support. "

Dylan suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and

autism. Other children who attended the clinic are diagnosed with

Asperger syndrome and attention deficit disorder. These children

were told their cases could not be transferred to another clinic

when consultant community paediatrician Dr Eddie McGrath took leave

of his post in April. A large number of parents petitioned local

Fianna Fáil Deputy McGuinness when they were not able to get

appointments with three other specialists in the south east. Mr

McGuinness raised the matter with Health Minister Harney but

has been unable to get a comprehensive response. He said the HSE had

let vulnerable children down.

" The parents are deeply frustrated and I am just downright angry

about how they have been treated. " You would think that even when I

raised it in the Dáil and made representations the HSE would at

least have made some contact with them. All they have been told is

that they have to be reassessed, these are children who were already

in treatment. It is an appalling lack of good management and

professionalism on the part of the HSE. "

The HSE in the south east admits it has had staffing problems

throughout the year. A spokesman could not elaborate on why cases

could not be transferred between clinics but he said the problem is

being addressed. " Due to sick leave and difficulties in recruitment,

a number of posts remained vacant for a period of time in 2006.

However, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist was

appointed to a position in September on a temporary basis, pending

the permanent filling of the post, and there is presently a full

compliment of paediatricians in posts for the Carlow/Kilkenny area.

" Arrangements are in place to deal with any child psychiatric

emergencies which may arise. "