Independent Councillor Raymond Shannon, a long-time advocate for mental health care in County Wexford, is once again calling for urgent improvements to the local mental health services following a recent case involving a distressed young man in need of immediate help.
Cllr. Shannon shared a distressing story about the difficulties faced by a family seeking support for their loved one. A family reached out to Raymond on Saturday night when their young relative, in a severe state of distress, was unable to access the mental health care he urgently needed. The family spent over an hour trying to contact the local care doctor, only to be told to contact the National Ambulance Service. When the family sought further clarification, they were told the young man would only be seen by a psychiatric nurse or a doctor on call, but not a psychiatric professional.
In an attempt to get the young man the necessary care, the family was told to travel to Waterford, a journey of over 50 kilometers. “To turn around at 10:30 on a Saturday night and ask a family to bring a distressed young man on such a long journey is just out of the question,” Despite the family’s concerns, they made the journey with the added support of another person for safety reasons, and the young man is now receiving care in Waterford.
Mr. Shannon said that while there is a letter from the Minister stating that 24-hour mental health services are available in Wexford, this is not the case. According to the councillor, the reality is that Wexford lacks the resources to provide adequate mental health care on a 24/7 basis. The waiting times for services, such as those at Summerhill, can stretch up to two to three months, which is unacceptable for someone in a mental health crisis.
“I’ve dealt with at least two people a week who are unable to get the immediate help they need and have to make that difficult journey to Waterford,”
Raymond Shannon further stressed that the local facility in Waterford, while helpful, is not fit for purpose. “Waterford might as well be in Australia when you’re mentally unwell. The journey itself is a huge challenge, and it shouldn’t be necessary,” he said. He also pointed out that the promised new facility in Waterford has yet to be completed, with the current infrastructure still inadequate for the level of care needed.
He is calling for a psychiatric inpatient unit to be added to the new 97-bed unit being built in Wexford, to provide 24-hour care for people in crisis. “It wouldn’t be a massive cost; we just need to have psychiatrists on call 24/7 to support the people who need it,” he said.
