Eating disorder services
Holly Cairns highlighted under-recruitment, poor funding uptake and lack of implementation for eating-disorder teams. Minister of State Mary Butler said referrals have risen sharply, new staff have been hired and progress is being made, though the Deputy said her concern was not answered.
A revealing and noteworthy report marking eating disorder awareness week shows how the health system is failing people with eating disorders. Only 55% of the staff of three new teams promised for 2021 have been recruited and less than one third of available funding has been invested since 2016. According to a freedom of information request, there is no implementation plan for the recruitment and training of staff despite the HSE previously stating in a response to a parliamentary question from me that there was a plan in place. Many people have to go to the UK for treatment and are forced to spend thousands for private care. Those who cannot afford to travel or get private care do not get that care.
Eating disorders are incredibly serious as they are the psychiatric condition most associated with mortality. I have been raising this issue for more than a year now and despite continued assurance from the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health and the Ministers of State at the Department of Health, there has been worryingly little progress. What will the Government do to address this?
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. This is eating disorder week. Last year, 504 people were referred to eating disorder teams. When the clinical programme was put in place in 2018, there was an assumption, judging by the correspondence and data the teams had, that approximately 60 people would be referred to eating disorder teams. That number was, in fact, 504, which was an increase of 120%.
I met yesterday with Dr. Michelle Clifford, who is the clinical director for eating disorders-----
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Only 55% of the staff promised for 2021 have been recruited.
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-----in the country. We had a good meeting. I also met representatives from Bodywhys. Last year, 44 new clinical staff were hired into eating disorder teams. There were originally three teams and they have now been populated. We had three new teams last year and we are populating them.
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With respect to the Minister of State, only 55% of the staff promised for 2021 have been recruited.
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It is slow but progress is being made. To have 44 new clinical people in the eating disorder teams all over the country is very welcome.
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That is not an answer to the question.