Mental health supports under the HSE at Cavan General Hospital faced criticism at a recent Cavan County Council meeting.
Councillor Sarah O’Reilly raised concerns over “bottle neck issues” which she says many are facing. Meanwhile, Christine Wynne, who is the Co-Ordinator of SOSAD Cavan said that she has witnessed these issues “first hand.”
Speaking in relation to the lack of weekend support available for those suffering with mental health, Christine Wynne of SOSAD Cavan said that crisis patients who present themselves to A&E for help - "do not" have ten hours to sit in a waiting room when in a seriously vulnerable state of mind.
She added that the process in which those who present themselves to A&E with mental health issues should be “eradicated” with the priority of the client first and paperwork second.
Speaking at a recent Cavan County Council meeting, the local SOSAD representative called for a change to the stigma that is attached to mental health.
"If someone fell on a football pitch and injured themselves, emergency services would come immediately, yet those suffering with mental are expected to wait in A&E for hours-on-end," Ms Wynne stated.
The mental health advocate told those in attendance that “more progress” needs to be made, and that mental health should be normalised and treated like any other medical condition or emergency in order to make “real change.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Shane P O'Reilly warned that there is a "problem" within local society, stating that adequate supports are simply “not there.”
He stated that if a minor was in need of mental health support or treatment at the weekend, the youth has “no other option” but to be brought to A&E, and added that if necessary, depending on the condition of the patient, they will be admitted to an adult psychiatric unit in the basement of Cavan General Hospital, regardless of their age.
Councillor O'Reilly warned that the youth of Cavan are facing “many issues” in relation to mental health and called for Cavan County Council to put pressure on the HSE.
