Latest news with #PádraigRice
Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Hiqa review of emergency services pushed out until September
It will be at least September before a Hiqa review of emergency services in Limerick, Clare, and north Tipperary will finish, leaving little time for action before winter illnesses hit. There was frustration locally when a May deadline came and went, but that has now been pushed out even further. It comes as 15 people waited longer than 24 hours on a trolley for a hospital bed at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) on Friday according to HSE data. The review will advise the health minister on whether a second emergency department (ED) is needed to support UHL. It is the only ED for more than 400,000 people. Hiqa, the healthcare regulator, said it is waiting for the ESRI to finish an analysis of emergency care demand up to 2030 by region. This will feed into Hiqa's advice for health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. However, a Hiqa spokesman said it does not expect this ESRI work to be completed 'until later in the summer'. As a result, he said: 'The revised timeline for completion of the Hiqa final report will therefore be September 2025, contingent on the completion of the ESRI reports within the expected timeframe.' This is sure to cause concern across the Midwest with 102 patients unable to find a bed at UHL on Friday, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Another four people were on trolleys in Ennis hospital, which does not have an ED. The HSE counts trolleys and beds differently to the union. However, its chart shows 59 patients without a bed on Friday. When this review was announced in May last year, hopes were expressed locally that a rapid-build approach could see a new ED within two years. Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice, Oireachtas health committee chairperson, has raised the delays with the health minister. She told him, in response to a parliamentary query, the revised timeline was shared with her on May 28. This review will provide advice to me, as minister for health, to inform decision-making around the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in the Mid West. Ms Carroll MacNeill described the ESRI findings as 'critical' to the Hiqa review. She also pledged: 'The final report will be published". The review was commissioned in the wake of public outrage at tragedies in the overcrowded ED. These included the deaths of Aoife Johnston, aged 16, in December 2022, Martin Abbott, aged 65, in 2019, and Eve Cleary, aged 21, also in 2019. A new 96-bed block is expected to be 'fully operational by September 2025' the CEO for Mid West Acute and Older People Services Ian Carter told Independent Cllr Seamus Morris at the recent Regional Health Forum West. He said recruitment is on track with campaigns running locally and internationally. The ED also hosts a 24-hour crisis liaison service run by the Mid West Mental Health Services. Last year, it saw 2,525 patients, Cllr Joe Ryan was told at the same meeting. Despite frustrations, Hiqa said work on the review has 'progressed very well'. It has inspected UHL and its sister hospitals and held a public consultation which received 1,121 submissions. Hiqa is before the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday. Read More Hiqa to be quizzed by PAC about its oversight of nursing homes
Irish Examiner
11-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Mental Health Bill may delay treatment for teenagers, Oireachtas committee hears
It is unclear whether the Mental Health Bill will help teenagers in crisis, including those in Kerry, with some sections likely to cause delays rather than improvements, the Oireachtas Health Committee heard on Wednesday. Shortages of specially trained authorised personnel to assist patients in crisis were also discussed by An Garda Síochána, in light of a new project in Limerick. This was the committee's first sitting since the November election, and their first opportunity to scrutinise a bill that could be in place for the next 25 years. Committee chair Pádraig Rice expressed his 'frustration' with the timing. Normally, there would be a gap between the committee and Dáil discussions, but this Bill will go before the Dáil just hours later. The Government tabled 298 amendments on Tuesday afternoon. 'I don't think it's in line with best practice and I don't think it's the way to deal with a Bill of this scale,' he warned. Speakers raised concerns about gaps in crisis care for teenagers aged 16 to 18. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) supports patients up to 18, but paediatric emergency departments stop at 16. Committee chair Pádraig Rice expressed his 'frustration' with the timing. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire Irish Medical Organisation Consultant Committee Chair Dr Matthew Sadlier described a case where a 17-year-old spent a week in an emergency department. 'We couldn't admit them to the acute adult unit because we were too scared we going to get given out to and told we were torturing somebody and abusing their human rights,' he said. ' There was no bed available in the child unit, now where was the most suitable place for that child, a 17-year-old, to be?'. Answering questions about South Kerry Camhs, the focus of critical reports including the Maskey review, he said the Bill does not address staffing gaps that led to these problems. Recruiting for isolated rural services in Kerry or Donegal is more difficult than in cities, so discussions with staff and employers must come first, he explained. The Mental Health Commission welcomed the expansion of its remit in some areas under the Bill but supported calls from two Garda speakers for more attention to the authorised persons issue. Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman said a pilot programme in Limerick, run jointly by Gardaí and the HSE, has helped 'over 40' people avoid arrest or detention by offering support services. None of them needed to go to the Limerick ED. However, she raised serious concerns that the Bill will worsen national shortages of trained staff. 'It is the experience of our CAST team that there is a need for a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service to support delivery in this area,' she said. She added: 'We further contend that only allowing Authorised Officers to make an application, could add to the already adversarial and structured process – and potentially cause significant delays to a person receiving treatment.' Dr Brendan Kelly, also of the IMO, warned of ongoing concern that the criteria for involuntary admission and treatment differ. This could result in someone being admitted but not receiving treatment, he explained. Mental Health Reform interim CEO Philip Watt said: 'The key thing really is definition, so no matter what term is used there has to be clarity on the definitions'. There are approximately 2,000 involuntary admissions each year in Ireland.
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
People with serious mental illness ‘may not get life-saving care in time' under new law, doctors to tell Oireachtas committee
The medics, who are among a range of witnesses before the Oireachtas Committee on Health today, say the Mental Health Bill (2024) is 'legally, clinically and logistically impractical'. The issue will be the first to come before the new committee, chaired by Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice. He said it is regrettable that junior minister Mary Butler has bypassed the select committee and decided to take it straight to committee stage, where the proposed provisions are scrutinised and amendments put forward to the floor of the Dáil instead. The meeting will be addressed by Dublin psychiatrist Professor Matthew Sadlier and consultant psychiatrist Professor Brendan Kelly of Tallaght Hospital. The specialists are particularly concerned about proposals in the new law around involuntary admission, which state that admission is 'immediately necessary for the protection of life of the person or that of another person or necessary for protection from an immediate and serious threat to the health of the person or that of other persons'. They argue that the use of risk as an admission criterium asks mental health care professionals to do something that lacks a firm evidence base, and that this should be removed. Another concern is the reference to timing of patients' psychosocial assessment and care-plan regulations. Psychosocial assessments are a critical and important part of every patient's care plan and recovery journey, but making them part of the involuntary admission procedure could potentially lead to a situation where patients are more likely to be admitted involuntarily based on their social circumstances rather than on the basis of their mental state, the doctors warn. 'Patients who require voluntary or involuntary admission to a psychiatric unit are among the most ill and vulnerable in our society and require timely and accountable care,' Prod Sadlier will tell the committee. 'Effectively, where a patient is found to lack capacity to consent to treatment, the bill would lead to a situation where rather than treating patients, consultants will be required to make an application to the High Court to get permission to do so. ADVERTISEMENT 'While the intention of the bill is to ensure the protection of patients' rights in relation to autonomy, this would create a dual process for involuntary admission and consent to care, which is legally, clinically and logistically impractical and could deny patients with serious mental illness the right to timely and often life-saving medical treatment. 'This will result in further decline in the patient's condition, prolong distress and lead to potential long-term adverse outcomes.' The junior minister has said it is a 'landmark piece of legislation to update and modernise our mental health laws'. 'I published the bill in July last year and introduced it to Dáil Éireann. The committee stage debate will ensure this vitally important bill is as robust as possible and I am determined to progress this legislation as soon as possible,' Ms Butler said.
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Mental Health Bill bypassing health committee ‘sets a dangerous precedent', says chair
Bringing the Mental Health Bill straight to the Dáil and bypassing the Oireachtas health committee is 'not in line with best practice' and 'sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of this term', its chairman has said. Last week, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler secured Cabinet approval of the Government's committee-stage amendments to the bill, which will significantly overhaul the State's mental health laws. A spokesman for the Minister said 'given the already busy agenda' of the Health Committee, she decided to bring the Bill to the floor of the Dáil 'where every Deputy will have the opportunity to speak on the committee-stage amendments to the Bill'. [ Admitting a patient without consent and not treating them isn't 'care' - it's imprisonment Opens in new window ] Pádraig Rice, chairman of the health committee, wrote to the Minister on Thursday criticising this decision. READ MORE Mr Rice, the Social Democrats ' spokesman on health, said the committee had agreed to undertake extra sessions each week to progress the Bill. 'It is therefore with disappointment, and some frustration, that we learned [on Wednesday] of your plans to bypass the joint committee and bring the Bill straight to the Dáil,' his letter said. 'This Bill is of significant importance and deserves due consideration. Taking this Bill and the hundreds of amendments that are being proposed and expected in the Dáil is not in line with best practice, does the issue a disservice and sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of this term.' Mr Rice said following his appointment as chair, he expressed an intention to 'work in a spirit of co-operation and partnership with Government and opposition alike'. 'I would appreciate if a similar approach was reciprocated,' he added, requesting the Minister to reconsider her decision. A spokesman for the Minister said she is 'determined to ensure the Mental Health Bill progresses to enactment before the end of the year'. 'The Bill has been in development for many years, and received support from all sides of the house at second stage last autumn. 'This is far from unprecedented, and many bills have been taken through committee stage on the floor of the House. As Chief Whip, the Minister will ensure the Bill is afforded ample time on the Dáil schedule to allow all of the amendments to be debated fully,' the spokesman said. If enacted, the new mental health bill will regulate the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) and other community services for the first time. It will also allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to consent to mental healthcare as they already can for physical health. Under amendments brought to Cabinet this week, an individual who is involuntarily admitted to an acute psychiatric unit can be detained for up to 42 days, an increase on the 21 days previously proposed under the bill.
The Journal
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Minister for Health says transgender healthcare is 'not meeting people's needs'
THE MINISTER FOR Health has said that transgender healthcare services in Ireland 'are not meeting people's needs and also not meeting their full range of needs'. Speaking in the Dáil last night, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill also said 'it's for that very reason that the HSE is developing the new model of care for gender healthcare services'. This new model will be developed in a consultative way, the Minister said, 'engaging with healthcare professionals in gender healthcare, [and] stakeholders, including people with lived and living experience and the families of people who use and receive support from services'. She added that the government is committed to developing a new model of care that is based on 'clinical evidence, respect, inclusiveness and compassion'. The Minister was responding to a question from Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice, who raised the concerns of the transgender community with the National Gender Service (NGS). He cited a recent investigative series from The Journal Investigates which he described as a 'harrowing' report into services currently available to transgender people. 'One patient described feeling traumatised after going through the services. Another one saying it felt like an interrogation, and people are being forced to go online to access HRT,' he added. He also called for the new model of care to be based on an informed consent model, in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Advertisement Since 2019, the WHO no longer treat being transgender as a mental or behavioural disorder. Instead, they now see it as relating to a person's sexual health. The WHO is currently developing clinical guidelines for transgender healthcare. The Minister thanked Deputy Rice for raising the 'very important perspective on the National Gender Service' in the Dáil, adding that 'a person-centred approach is what we want to get to'. She said that her Department has provided €770,000 in Budget 2025 to support the development of the new model of care. 'The clinical lead has been appointed, a cross-speciality clinical advisory group has been established, and a review of the evidence base is also underway,' she added. A community pilot project aimed at identifying 'the needs of children and young people who are gender questioning will also commence in the coming months', the Minister said. Advocates 'deeply concerned' The investigation by The Journal Investigates reported that transgender people said the questioning that takes place during NGS assessments can feel traumatic and upsetting. These questions include asking about what pornography they watch or details about their sexual lives with their partners. It also revealed how some transgender people are turning to DIY HRT , a method of accessing healthcare outside the official channels. This involves ordering hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs through a variety of online sources. Transgender people who move to Ireland from other countries are also being told by the NGS they must join the waitlist and go through their assessment process before accessing healthcare in Ireland. This is despite having legally changed their gender and previously accessed gender-affirming care in their home countries. Related Reads Transgender people moving to Ireland put on long waitlist for vital healthcare until assessed Transgender people turning to DIY-healthcare due to lack of trust in National Gender Service 'It left me traumatised': The barriers to accessing transgender healthcare in Ireland Responding to the investigation, the Professional Association for Trans Health Ireland (PATHI) said in a statement that it was 'deeply concerned' by the 'structural failures within Ireland's trans healthcare system'. PATHI is a group of healthcare professionals, academics, and community advocates working to advance the health, rights and wellbeing of trans and gender diverse people. The group also called for 'urgent, systemic reform to address the extensive barriers and inadequate and unsafe care faced by trans people across the country'. Ryan Goulding, a registered mental health nurse and PATHI Field Representative for Primary Health, said: 'Trans people are being left with no safe, trustworthy, or accessible options for care. This is a clinical, ethical, and structural failure that cannot continue. The way forward is clear.' It is expected that the development of the new model of care will take two years. — Conor O'Carroll is an investigative reporter with The Journal Investigates . Our investigative unit is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. This takes time and it takes resources. 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