Wexford mental health group hosts its first meeting in County Hall – ‘Everyone experiencing difficulty must be supported'
At their inaugural meeting on Friday last, the ten councillors (Aidan Browne, Aoife Rose O'Brien, Craig Doyle, Frank Staples, Jackser Owens, Leonard Kelly, Mary Farrell, Michael Sheehan, Raymond Shannon and Tom Forde) selected Cllr Aoife Rose O'Brien as the chairperson of the newly-established Mental Health Services Working Group.
"I am truly honoured to be appointed as chairperson for this working group,' said Cllr O'Brien. 'Mental health is a priority issue for me, I have lost friends to suicide and suffered greatly with my own mental health, and sadly this is not unique. I am not ashamed to admit that I have struggled; mental health is a part of whole health and at times I believe we all suffer.
"For me the priority now is to ensure that every person experiencing difficulty is supported; whether that's access to talk-therapy, or psychiatric availability in times of crisis. As a county we have been failed to date and denied these crucial services. We have been reliant on local charity providers, whose commitments to our communities will never go unnoticed, but it's time for the HSE to step up."
Describing the rest of the committee as 'incredibly strong members, many of whom have experienced their own suffering', Cllr O'Brien said she and the group would now be focusing on delivering what Wexford needs: a 24/7 mental health crisis unit.
'In addition, we will work on other areas of service, including Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) and residential care units. It's time for us to come together now and deliver for the people of Wexford.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
HSE intends to meet gardaí to discuss internal CHI report
The HSE has said it has decided to refer matters raised in the internal Children's Health Ireland report to An Garda Síochana and intends to meet gardaí very shortly to discuss it. The HSE said it has also decided that matters raised in the report will be referred to the Medical Council and it will discuss with CHI how this will be done. The Medical Council is the policing body for doctors' behaviour. Once the report has been received, gardaí will assess whether an investigation should be commenced and, ultimately, if a report should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The unpublished report has caused shock in Government circles, with Taoiseach Mícheál Martin saying yesterday that the "essence" of the report should be made public given the disquiet it has triggered. The report, which has been seen by RTÉ News, concluded that "a root and branch review" of use of the National Treatment Purchase Fund and other waiting list initiatives "should be undertaken". It also said "the longest waiters were not seen at NTPF clinics" and that "45 children who required surgery did not receive a date for same and instead were placed back on one consultant's inpatient waiting list which has a significant wait time". The report was first referenced by the Sunday Times last month, when it reported that a consultant who has since retired had breached guidelines by referring public patients to the doctor's own weekend clinics.
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
94pc of Wicklow pharmacies sign up for free HRT scheme
If you have a prescription for HRT from a GP, registered nurse or midwife and you are registered for the Drugs Payment Scheme or have a medical card, you can get free HRT medicine from a pharmacy participating in the Free Hormone Replacement Therapy scheme, of which 94pc of Wicklow pharmacies have signed up. Women can identify their nearest pharmacy to them that is providing the service by using the HSE pharmacy finder, at Praising Wicklow pharmacies for their 'extremely positive' uptake of the scheme, Wicklow TD Edward Timmins said he was grateful to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for engaging with all stakeholders so successfully to 'deliver this medication free of charge for the many women around the country who need it'. 'The majority of pharmacies across the country are participating in this scheme, and this figure is increasing daily, meaning that all women will be able to access this free medication in a pharmacy convenient for them,' he said. 'In Wicklow, 94pc of pharmacies will offer the free medication to women, which is extremely positive. 'It's important to note that the new arrangement includes a pharmacy dispensing fee, so medication will be completely free. 'The symptoms women encounter during perimenopause and menopause are varied, and women's lives can be hugely impacted,' he added. 'HRT is such an important medicinal regime for women and can positively improve their lives and make daily living much easier. This scheme is transformational for women. I commend the pharmacies here in Wicklow who have joined the scheme to continue to provide vital healthcare to our communities.'
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Fear and distrust': why children's healthcare is in crisis
Children operated on when there was no need; industrial springs being used instead of approved medical devices; a doctor diverting children to his own private clinic leading to them facing dangerous treatment delays; and a poisonous work culture on the wards – these are some of the issues that have emerged in our children's hospitals. And that's before the not so little matter of the massive budgetary and time overruns that plague the unfinished national children's hospital. The body tasked with overseeing the healthcare of the nation's children is Children's Health Ireland. It was founded in 2019 and in just six years has faced a mounting number of controversies and scandals. READ MORE Questions are now being asked about the ability of CHI to do its job. And that's a job that will get all the more complicated when the children's hospitals, each with their own culture and way of doing things, have to merge under one roof when the new hospital opens. CHI is funded by the HSE and answers to it, so what role does the State's healthcare body play in all this? And what is Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill going to do as CHI lurches from crisis to crisis? Irish Times health correspondent Shauna Bowers explains. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
