The Health Service Executive (HSE) has apologised to parents and children in the west and northwest where there is a three-year waiting list for assessments by the Primary Care Child and Family Psychology Service. It said the service, which assesses children aged up to 18 with mild developmental and emotional difficulties, is experiencing increased demand against a background of staff shortages.
The HSE was asked about the service after a Co Galway woman said she had been informed her six-year-old son, who is showing behavioural problems, would likely not get an assessment for more than three years. The woman, who did not want to be named as it would identify her child, said early intervention can be very important when it comes to children with behavioural issues.
“We could afford to have him assessed privately, but schools will only recognise an assessment made by the HSE,” she said. It was, she said, a national disgrace that one of the wealthiest countries in Europe was failing its most vulnerable citizens, “our children”.
In a statement the HSE West and North West said: “The Primary Care Child and Family Psychology Service in this area is experiencing an increased demand for the service, coupled with staff shortages, which has regrettably resulted in a current waiting time of three years. Between 2018 and 2022 the mean annual referral rate was 400. Between 2023 and 2024 the mean annual referral rate was 640 which represents a referral increase of over 50 per cent in this six-year period.”
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The service said it was working to reduce waiting times. and that recruitments processes were in place to fill a number of vacant posts, including for two psychology assistants. “This process is nearing conclusion.”
In a letter sent to the Co Galway woman just before Christmas a senior clinical psychologist at the Athenry Primary Care Centre said that, due to high referral rates “and historical and current staffing vacancies, there is a possible waiting time of over three years”.
“As the Athenry psychology post has been vacant since December 2023, we have had to reapply to have this post reinstated and are actively engaged with the HSE management to secure this,” the psychologist said.
She added that the service would unfortunately be unable to monitor the woman’s son during the waiting period. “We understand that it can be very hard to wait for a psychology service when things are difficult. If there is an escalation in your child’s distress or you become increasingly concerned about your child’s safety and wellbeing whilst waiting for a service, we advise that you consult your family GP (or emergency department out of hours) for advice and options, based on their assessment of the situation.”
The primary child care and psychology service deals with mild to moderate developmental challenges and emotional difficulties such as anxiety and specific fears.
“If significant mental health, risk or safety concerns arise a referral to the local child and adolescent mental health service may be more appropriate,” the letter said.
The woman said it was “outrageous” that families are being left without the support their children desperately need. It was also, she said, a violation of the statutory requirements under the Disability Act 2005, which mandates that an assessment of need must begin within three months of an application and be completed within six months.
“For families in Galway and south Roscommon these legal obligations appear to be nothing more than empty promises,” she said. “For thousands of children like my son these delays are devastating. The early years of a child’s life are crucial for their development, and every passing month reduces the chances of timely support that could shape their future.”
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