High Court hears HSE has no supported accommodation for mentally ill woman
A young woman with mental health issues who has spent two years on an acute psychiatric hospital ward is fit for discharge into supported accommodation in the community, but there is no place for her, the High Court has heard.
This "unsatisfactory situation" is a "frequent" problem and the HSE appears totally reliant on the voluntary sector for supported accommodation, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, said.
The situation cannot be allowed "to fester" and progress must be made, the judge stressed.
The woman is a ward of court and her case was before the judge for review today.
He was told by Maria Dillon, a solicitor representing the HSE, the woman, aged in her thirties who has been treated by the psychiatric sevrices for some years, is suitable for supported accommodation but none is available.
David Leahy BL, for the general solicitor for wards of court, said this was a common problem and he believed it might arise due to the HSE operating in specific "silos" where a certain number of counties are categorised as particular units for the purpose of services.
Ms Dillon said she had explored whether there were options outside the relevant silo in this case but, due to the woman's lifestyle and family structure, a particular option which was considered was "problematic".
Mr Justice Kelly said he could not conjure up residential accommodation as that was not within his power.
However, he was obliged to ensure the woman's welfare and that her rights, especially to life and health, are "properly attended to", he said.
For now, he had no option but to permit this unsatisfactory situation to continue as the woman would at least be fed and have shelter and appropriate medication, but he was "not taking my foot off the accelerator".
Because the HSE is "a big bureaucratic machine that needs to be cranked up", the judge said he considered an adjournment of four weeks would be required for it to see if progress could be made.
He hoped there would be progress as a situation where people had to remain inappropriately in acute psychiatric units, perhaps depriving another person of a place there, could not be allowed continue, he said.
In another ward of court case, the judge heard a young man is also inappropriately placed in an acute psychiatric ward.
What is "different" in his case is the man has access to considerable funds and an application is being prepared to seek court sanction for his transfer to an appropriate facility in the UK, the court was told. The case was adjourned to facilitate that.
