The HSE has been unable to recruit a consultant psychiatrist for a south Kerry children's mental health service despite repeated campaigns.
A full-time locum was in place at South Kerry CAHMS from August 2020 to July this year, but now a consultant from Cork covers three days a week. The details were revealed by Acting head of Mental Health Service in Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Kevin Morrison in a letter to Kerry County Council.
Fianna Fáil councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald had called for emergency funding for CAMHS, saying the service is understaffed and can't cope with the surge in calls from young people under huge pressure due to the lockdown.
Kerry CAHMS service has experienced a significant increase in referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic. There's a difficulty recruiting medical staff and despite repeated campaigns, it's proven impossible to appoint a permanent consultant psychiatrist for the South Kerry CAHMS team.
From August 2020 to July 2021 there was a full-time locum, and since then, one of the Cork CAHMS consultant psychiatrists has been in South Kerry three days a week, and providing phone outside of that. Since August a number of external consultants have been running weekend clinics to ensure continuity of service to the children of South Kerry, and it's hoped these will run until the end of the year at least.
Management are continuing to try to fill the permanent South Kerry consultant post, and are also seeking a third consultant.
They're also working on filling a basic grade psychology post, which due to recruitment difficulties has remained unfilled for some time.
During 2020, QB testing was rolled out in North Kerry CAMHS, and will also happen in South Kerry CAMHS; this facilitates online assessment for ADHD, and has been proven to reduce waiting lists for children with the condition.
