Psychiatrists have called on the Government to lift the embargo on public service recruitment, claiming unless it is lifted a radical plan to change how people with mental problems are treated will never be implemented.
Psychiatrists and mental health groups have also strongly criticised what they say is Government inaction over the plan A Vision for Change, saying little has been done to implement its recommendations. It is estimated that one in four of the population is affected by mental health problems at some stage of their lives.
The plan, which was launched amid great fanfare last year and endorsed by Government, will be one year old tomorrow. The Irish Psychiatrists Association, which represents more than 60 psychiatrists, will publish a report tomorrow, detailing how little has been done.
A Vision for Change recommended closing mental hospitals across the State and using the funds generated to improve mental health services in the community. It was to move healthcare to a community-based setting where multidisciplinary teams would look after people. It recommended recruiting an additional 1,800 staff for mental health services and was to be implemented over the next 10 years.
Last night Dr Siobhan Barry, psychiatrist and spokeswoman for the Irish Psychiatrists Association, said that if the policies were to have any credibility then some kind of derogation was needed on the public service recruitment embargo.
"The embargo has contributed considerably to the delay in getting things moving," said Dr Barry. "The delivery of the plan [A Vision for Change] is extremely disappointing."
Dr Barry also criticised the level of funding for new services in mental health. She said the figure in this category had been reduced by €1 million to €25 million in the last Budget, compared with the 2006 budget. She said the 2007 Budget figures included some costs for implementing aspects of the Mental Health Act and the Criminal Law Insanity Act, introduced last year, rather than spending purely on services.
Dr Barry said the recommendations in the plan were supposed to be delivered over seven to 10 years. "We need to focus better on it, to deliver it," she said.
Dr Barry said the Irish Psychiatrists Association would be publishing reviews annually to chart what progress, if any, was being made on the plan.
Meanwhile, Mental Health Ireland accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of "lacking in the urgency" which the plan requires. It called on the Government to "fast-track" the plan.
The group's chief executive, Brian Howard, said this could be done through "a proper implementation plan with transparent annualised implementation targets, realistic funding and ongoing measurements of progress".
Mental Health Ireland, which represents 96 local mental health associations throughout the State, said the HSE had failed to appoint a national Mental Health Service Directorate, which was a key recommendation of A Vision for Change policy. It believes many of the report's recommendations will not be implemented until this is done.