Mental Health Reform, the National Coalition for Mental Health, expressed serious concerns at the HSE figures reported by RTE today.
“This readmission rate is too high and could be reduced if we had more fully developed community based services as first recommended in ‘A Vision for Change’ ten years ago,” said Director of Mental Health Reform Dr Shari McDaid.
“The OECD has identified that if appropriate and coordinated follow-up is provided after discharges, patients are not usually re-admitted to hospital within 30 days.
“In the UK, the NHS has set a clinical standard that support services, both in the hospital and in primary, community and mental health settings must be available seven days a week.”
The coalition also highlighted that a 2011 OECD study found that Ireland’s 30-day re-admission rate for schizophrenia was more than double that of the UK.
Mental Health Reform also said it was concerned at reports that none of the HSE community mental health services provide 24-hour cover and just under one-third of vacancies remain unfilled for clinical nurse specialists responsible for patients presenting to emergency departments with suicidal ideation or self-harm.
