College Press Statements 2011

The College of Psychiatry welcomes the announcement by Minister Reilly that mental health will be managed by a separate directorate, as one of the seven directorates planned for our health service. While those with mental health problems receive services from many areas of the HSE, having its own separate Directorate will enable greater coordination and interdepartmental communication. In ‘A Vision for Change’ we have a clear outline of how this directorate should be managed.

The College of Psychiatry welcomes the budget announcement confirming, as per the Programme for Government, that €35m is to be ring fenced for mental health and in particular for the development of community mental health teams as per ‘A Vision for Change’. However the College continues to have concerns related to reductions in staffing for existing Community Mental Health Teams that have occurred in the last two years.

The College of Psychiatry of Ireland‘s third Winter Conference in Killarney included a packed programme of plenary sessions and workshops focussing on practical and best practice standards relevant to clinical practice. Circa 250 delegates attended each day of the two day event where they were informed by stimulating presentations from international and national speakers related to clinical practice and availed of the many practically oriented parallel workshops.

To mark World Mental Health Day this year the College of Psychiatry are hosting two free events for the public, one in Dublin and one in Galway focusing on the relationship of alcohol to our mental health. Both events will comprise presentations followed by question & answer sessions providing the audience with an opportunity to ask questions on the topics to the presenting psychiatrists.

The two part documentary ‘Behind the Walls’, broadcast recently on RTE, focussing on psychiatric care and institutions in this country over the past decades dealt with many important issues and provided an overview of a system, which was in so many ways flawed and inadequate. A more objective and balanced series of documentaries would also have focused on the multiple advances in the treatment of mental illness in the last two decades both at Primary Care level by GPs and their teams and at Secondary Care level by specialists in the mental health services. Thousands of patients benefit from these advances and more person focussed contemporary care around the country every year. The vast majority of people in this country, who experience an onset of mental illness, will be treated effectively and will have no recurrence.

In response to ‘HSE cuts number of psychiatrists in Galway’ (HEALTHplus, 6th September, 2011), ‘Revealing the horrific past of psychiatric hospitals’ (Mary Raftery ,5th September) and ‘Behind the Walls’ (RTE, 5th September).

The College of Psychiatry of Ireland welcomes the report „Time to move on from Congregated settings’ (commissioned by the HSE) regarding the current care provided in Ireland to persons with intellectual disabilities. The College supports the recommendations in the „Congregated Settings’ report that adults with intellectual disabilities should be living in the community and emphasises that inspections for health and quality care in these community settings need to be implemented.

The focus of this year’s Men’s Health Week: “Promoting and Supporting the Health and Well-Being in Men and Boys during Challenging Times” is particularly relevant to men’s mental as well as physical health say the College of Psychiatry. Depression is common, it can be successfully treated, once recognised. In order to help people recognise depression the College outlines a number of symptoms that can indicate the presence of clinical depression.

From Dr John tobin, Human Rights, Ethics Law Committee.

UCD Medical School won for the first time at the annual Spike Milligan Intervarsity Public Speaking Competition, run by the College of Psychiatry of Ireland.

Mr Cathal Magee, in addressing almost 200 psychiatrists at the opening of the Spring Conference of the College of Psychiatry of Ireland, stressed the increased recognition of the importance of mental health and improved mental health services in the health service plans of the HSE.

The College of Psychiatry of Ireland Welcomes Commitment given to Mental Health by the New Government in its Ministerial Appointments and the Programme for Government.

The College strongly proposes to the Seanad members that rather than deleting section 59(1)(b) they propose an amendment to this section deleting the words “or unwilling” and that the other aspects of Section 59(1)(b) be retained in the legislation.

From Dr Anne Jeffers, Director External Affairs and Policy.

The College of Psychiatry of Ireland today launches a report to mark the 5th anniversary of A Vision for Change, the national mental health policy. “Excluded, Exiled and Exported: The citizens we’ve ignored and those we’ve exiled”, highlights the lack of progress in providing adequate, appropriate and affordable care for one of Ireland’s most vulnerable groups – those with an intellectual disability (ID) who require an additional specialised mental health service.

The College of Psychiatry or Ireland, which has just completed two years since its inauguration in 2009, welcomes Dr Anthony McCarthy as the new President of the College. Dr McCarthy, who has been Vice President to Dr Justin Brophy the outgoing President, will carry out the role over a two year term starting January 2011.