Madam, - I write in response to the letter from the secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) in your edition of October 22nd.
Over the past number of months, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has been engaged in high-contact negotiations with the representatives of consultant psychiatrists. Considerable progress was being made in addressing many of the concerns raised by consultant staff and additional resources were being allocated to meet these needs.
The Mental Health Act 2001 provides additional safeguards for detained patients and also protects clinicians in their decision to detain. In recognition of the additional demands placed on consultant staff, the HSE offered 13 additional consultant posts in 2006. It should be noted that 10 new consultant posts have been funded and approved in 2005 also. This represents an unprecedented increase of at least 23 posts in less than 12 months. In addition, the HSE has also sought extra posts in the 2006 estimates process - at this time, it is not possible to determine the outcome of this bid, but an increase in posts would be expected.
Each month, approximately 250 Irish people are detained for mental health care, and while the new legislation is delayed by the IHCA embargo, the human rights of those detained are being withheld. This is unacceptable to service users, their representative groups, the overwhelming majority of mental health professionals, and the HSE.
In his letter, Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the IHCA, referred to profligacy and use of taxpayers' money in his letter. The HSE has patiently waited five weeks for a positive response from the IHCA and yet again been disappointed. Engaging in protracted and fruitless negotiations with the IHCA does not represent the effective use of time or give taxpayers value for money. The IHCA's refusal to co-operate with the introduction of this reforming legislation means a new way to protect the interests of people with mental illness in Ireland must now be found. - Yours, etc,
MARTIN ROGAN, National Care Group Manager for Mental Health, Health Service Executive, Naas, Co Kildare.