Mental Health Reform and the Children’s Rights Alliance have reacted 'with concern' to the review into allegations that young people who attended South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) were prescribed inappropriate medication.
The review, published by the Health Service Executive today, has examined the treatment of more than 1,300 young people who attended the services between July 2016 and April 2021. Findings show that 227 children were exposed to the risk of significant harm.
Fiona Coyle, CEO, Mental Health Reform said: “The review has exposed a serious lack of clinical oversight in our mental health services. This has caused great distress to the children and families involved directly. It is also giving rise to concerns for children and families accessing mental health services across the country. Each and every child who uses mental health services deserves appropriate care and support. We urge the Minister of Health to put in place a national review to ensure that our services are complying with the highest standards of care.
Advocacy
"It is crucial that additional support, including advocacy support is made available to those affected. We are calling for a national advocacy service for children to ensure that the rights of children and young people accessing mental health services are respected and protected.”
Tanya Ward, chief executive of Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “This is an extremely concerning report. Significant harm has been caused to children down to lack of supervision, staffing and poor practices. It is simply not good enough that individual practice caused such a negative ripple effect to so many. Why did the systemic checks and balances not unearth this bad practice sooner? Why did it take a whistle-blower to reveal the truth? Children should be able to trust our mental health system in their hour of need. These families have been seriously let down, and we must do all we can to fix the system, so this kind of thing never happens again.”
Meanwhile, the executive clinical director of Kerry Mental Health services, Dr Maura Young has acknowledged that the review was “a damning indictment".
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One, Dr Young apologised to the children involved and their parents for the failure to deliver the standard of services that would have been expected.
Information line
There had been no “malintent” or intention to do harm, she said. But harm had been caused to the children, significant harm to 46 children.
This number was likely to rise, she said as families raise ongoing concerns. An information line was being set up which would be open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
Dr Young added that she hoped the review would result in more robust supervisory arrangements. The management team that had been in place at the time was not the same as the current management team, but there still was no permanent consultant, nor had there been for the past five years despite repeated efforts to fill the post. This was a source of deep regret.
Other measures had been taken to ensure there was strong governance which would improve the standard of care in the service, she said.
“I know there has been a breakdown in trust. It will take a long time to rebuild, that will be a long process. The report helps that. We are fully accepting and take on board these 35 recommendations and are committed to implementing them.”
Dr Young admitted that medication had been the ‘default mechanism’ as a means of controlling emotions and behaviour when other therapies should have been considered. Medication should only be used in specific circumstances. - Additional reporting form Vivienne Clarke
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
Alternatively, the contact information for a range of mental health supports is available at mentalhealthireland.ie/get-support.
In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
