The North Eastern Health Board has one of the lowest rates of people being re-admitted to hospital after a previous suicide attempt, writes Elaine Keogh
The appointment of a special nurse to liaise with parasuicides, or those who harm themselves, after their first hospital admission, is credited with the low rate of re-admission.
Parasuicides are a high risk for future suicide and traditionally they were treated in out-patients but there was no further follow up.
However, in line with a recommendation by the National Task Force on Suicide, the NEHB appointed a clinical nurse specialist to take responsibility for co-ordinating after care for these patients in the Louth Hospital, Dundalk, and that appointment has been credited with the decrease in the number of people going on to re-harm.
The 2002 annual report of the National Parasuicide Registry found the re-harm rate in the NEHB was 11.2 per cent and is higher only than the Southern Health Board (10.7 per cent). The highest, 15.7 per cent, was in the Western Health Board.
"The nursing service in the Louth hospital prevented people from re-harming themselves and the low re-admission rate contained in the annual report of the National Parasuicide Registry points to the benefits of the service," public health specialist Dr Declan Bedford told health board members.
The nurse in the Louth hospital, Ms Kathleen Kelly, said she believes that the prompt assessment of the person while in the hospital and her co-ordinating "a whole range of interventions," is part of what has made the difference. Before her appointment a junior doctor may not have had the special skills and training that the clinical nurse has.
Another nurse is being appointed in the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and the NEHB confirmed the service is also to be extended to its other main acute hospital in Cavan.