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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

CAMHS complaints for families

Summary

Deputy Ryan cites Families for Reform of CAMHS and their dissatisfaction with complaints handling and the impact on children’s care. The Minister of State says she has met the group, will meet them again, and is working with the HSE on clearer pathways and complaints routes.

This week, Deputy Ward, who is the Sinn Féin spokesperson for mental health, arranged a meeting with Families for Reform of CAMHS, which I attended. These families report that 70% of parents surveyed were unhappy with the handling of complaints relating to their children in CAMHS, saying that they were not listened to and were worried about how the complaint would adversely affect their child's care. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was not there, and I mean that respectfully, but had she been there, she would understand the families' distress over having to bare their souls and personal lives to get the care their children deserve. Can we get clarification about what is being done to put in place a fit-for-purpose and transparent complaints resolution system for parents of children seeking to access CAMHS? Children need efficient CAMHS care and parents need a complaints mechanism that works when care is denied.

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Mary Butler Minister of State at the Department of Health Fianna Fáil

I met that group last October and will meet it again shortly. We contacted it today. I was not in the House on Tuesday. Regarding anybody who wants to make a complaint against the HSE, it falls under "Your Service Your Say" but there is no doubt that many families have children with a dual diagnosis, be it autism, intellectual disabilities and mental health, where the pathway is not as clear as it should be. We are working on that. I had a round-table meeting with the HSE to see whether we can find clearer pathways. The 2% of children who need the support of CAMHS will always have to have a primary diagnosis of mental health problems first and that is where some of the challenges arise, but we are looking at it. Your Service Your Say is the way at the moment to make a complaint.

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