Cork and Kerry mental health services have fewer staff now than during staffing crisis two years ago
The majority of child mental health teams in Cork and Kerry have fewer staff now than in 2023 when the Mental Health Commission said children were at risk due to vacancies.
One team is down more than 50% despite rising patient numbers. Across the two counties, 407 children have waited longer than a year. A new ADHD service has already seen far more children than expected but still has a waiting list.
Cork and Kerry have 11 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) teams, of which seven have fewer clinical staff now.
The South Lee 3 team has 5.9 roles filled between full-time and part-time staff, compared with 13.1 two years ago.
South Lee 1 has 7.8 roles filled now compared to 13.5 then. The West Cork team had 11.65 roles filled two years ago and now has 9.8.
However, in the wake of separate reports on serious concerns, South Kerry has the equivalent of 14.8 clinical staff compared to 9.76 two years ago, and in North Kerry the numbers are 13.4 compared to 11.2.
North Cork has 14.6 clinical staff now compared to 12.8 two years ago, but it also has the highest waiting lists at 248, including 110 children waiting longer than a year.
Across all the teams 2,142 children are in active treatment with 1,074 on waiting lists.
Last October, the HSE opened a dedicated ADHD clinic in Ballincollig. This takes transfers from Cork and Kerry of children with suspected ADHD.
It expected to see 120 young people within six months. This data, released under the Freedom of Information Act, shows by February it received 264 referrals and treated 193.
The figures follow mental health minister Mary Butler in April warning HSE South West and Dublin North East together carry 50% of Camhs national waiting lists.
Mental Health Reform interim chief executive Philip Watt called for more supports for these two regions. 'It does show the pace of investment and progress needs to increase,' he said.
Staffing gaps are 'the legacy of the recruitment ban' he warned, adding: "There was no recruitment to Camhs for a significant period of time.'
He welcomed the new ADHD service, but said: 'The over-subscription and the waiting list is a matter of specific concern.'
He also called for better access to alternatives for less severely children, including the Jigsaw centres.
A HSE South West spokeswoman said the ADHD service had one consultant and one NCHD (non-consultant hospital doctor) which she described as a 'streamlined team'.
She said: "Feedback from families has been very positive."
The vacant Camhs posts are 'one of our top regional priorities', she said, for providing 'accessible, high-quality mental health care for every child'.
She added: 'It is important to clarify that at present there is no recruitment ban.'
In 2023, the Mental Health Commission said in Cork and Kerry there had been a just under 20% increase in referrals to Camhs services from 2016 to 2021 without a corresponding increase in staffing.
It praised 'highly skilled staff ' but highlighted 'complicated, piecemeal and unsustainable efforts to fill the considerable gaps'.
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