The number of children waiting for mental health services in Ireland has risen above 4,500, with growing concern over increasing delays in access to care, reports Breaking News.
The waiting list has grown significantly in recent months, with 587 children now waiting more than a year to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, reports Breaking News.
The development comes as the Health Service Executive South-West confirmed it is expanding its review of CAMHS services in north Kerry to include all children seen before November 2022.
A review of 374 cases published last month found that more than half of the children were exposed to varying levels of risk, reports Breaking News.
It identified two children at major risk, 195 cases involving moderate risk, and 12 children at minor risk.
New figures show that the number of children waiting for CAMHS appointments nationwide continues to increase, reports Breaking News.
Data provided by the HSE to Pádraig Rice, chair of the Oireachtas Health Committee, revealed that 4,587 children were on waiting lists at the end of January.
This compares to 4,375 at the end of November and 4,047 at the end of September.
Of those waiting at the end of January, 587 had been waiting over a year, reports Breaking News.
In the south-west region, covering Cork and Kerry, 328 young people had been waiting longer than 12 months.
An additional 559 children have been waiting more than nine months, while 774 have been waiting between six and nine months, reports Breaking News.
Mr Rice described the situation as “deeply concerning” and said vulnerable children are being failed by the system.
“These are some of the most vulnerable children in the State, and they are being utterly failed. Report after report has identified serious issues in Camhs, and yet the same access issues persist.
“Almost three years on from the Mental Health Commission’s damning review of Camhs, its primary recommendation has still not been implemented — the immediate and independent regulation of Camhs. There can be no excuse for this”, reports Breaking News.
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