Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said a review into care of children at a HSE-run mental health service in south Kerry which found 46 children suffered significant harm is “shocking” and represents “a damning indictment of the service.”
Mr Martin has said there will now be a full audit nationwide of compliance with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) operation guidelines by all CAMHS teams.
He said in addition, a prescribing audit will be conducted in each of the 72 CAMHS teams to include a random selection of files.
A review into the care of more than 1,300 children at a service in South Kerry found that 227 children received “risky” treatment and 46 came to significant harm through a doctor's diagnosis.
Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall said the report demanded a "wider inquiry" than just south Kerry, adding it also raised "very serious concerns about management within the HSE" because the whistleblower "resigned from the HSE because he received no support, and was sidelined after raising concerns."
The Taoiseach said he had read the executive report and told the Dáil “this is a profoundly serious issue.”
He said: “It is shocking, it is very, very serious and unacceptable.
“And it represents a damning indictment of the service.
“The first principle of medicine is to do no harm.
“Children were harmed here by a complete failure of clinical performance and oversight and the entire management of this service.”
Some children under the care of a junior doctor suffered considerable weight gain, sedation during daytime, elevated blood pressure and production of breast milk.
There was no system to check the prescribing of medications or the quality of service by the junior doctor's supervisors.
The report states these children were exposed to risk of harm by the junior doctor because of a lack of knowledge about the best way to do things.
Concerns expressed about the doctor led to the establishment of the review in April of last year.
The doctor did not cooperate with the review and the report does not identify the doctor.
The Taoiseach said “the lack of oversight” in his view “demands a fundamental review not just of South Kerry but the overall situation pertaining to child and adolescent mental health.”
He said it was not a resource issue, rather there has been "ongoing difficulties" in recruiting for such posts "in certain parts of the country."
He said: “Following the publication of the report, the HSE has apologised and has communicated with all the parents involved, my understanding is there has been an extensive look back of 1,300 files.
“It’s very important to say it is not the parent’s fault.
“A lot of parents are feeling guilty..it’s not the parent’s fault.
“Following the publication of the report, there will be a full audit nationwide of compliance with CAMHS operation guidelines by all CAMHS teams.
"In addition, a prescribing audit will be conducted in each of the 72 CAMHS teams to include a random selection of files proportionate to the medical caseload from a continuous six-month predefined time period in 2021.”
The review was carried out by London-based consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Sean Maskey and covered the period between July 1, 2016 and April 19, 2021.
The HSE sent the report of the review to the 227 families of the 227 children involved along with an apology.
