News from: media

May 23, 2008

Headline News Highlights (16th - 23rd May 2008)

Mental Health

Just half of mental health funds delivered
Irish Examiner (Fri, 23 May 2008)
About half of the €50 million promised by the Government for mental health services over the past two years has been delivered to date, according to a leading advocacy group. Mental Health Ireland (MHI) said yesterday that services such as child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and adult psychiatry are being left behind as a result of the shortage in Funding since 2006.

28,000 health workers strike over HSE freeze
Irish Examiner (Wed 21 May 2008)
Thousands of therapists, social care workers and administrative staff will begin industrial action from today in a row over the recruitment freeze in the health service. The action by 28,000 health professionals will hit essential services nation- wide. IMPACT claims the recruitment freeze has resulted in 2,700 posts remaining unfilled.

Call to retain mental hospital in Dundrum
Irish Times Subscription (Tue, 20 May 2008)
Relocating the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) to the new Thornton Hall prison complex will criminalise mental illness and is the "worst case scenario", a new report to be published next week will claim.  The report, entitled Patients Not Prisoners, has called for the decision to be scrapped and the CMH retained on a smaller site in its present location in Dundrum, south Dublin.

Psych nurse dispute over
Irish Health (Fri, 16 May 2008)
An overtime ban by psychiatric nurses which has been affecting mental health services has ended after the two unions involved accepted settlement proposals from the Labour Relations Commission. The SIPTU and PNA unions have both agreed to accept proposals for a new compensation package for nurses assaulted in the course of their duty.

Suicide Prevention

National Suicide Research Foundation Research Bulletin April 2008
This is the first Research Bulletin produced by the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF). The main objective is to provide regular updates of our research findings to a wide range of relevant agencies and professionals in the health and community care services, thereby helping to provide an evidence base for suicide prevention programmes and related work.

Suicide centre hope
Irish Daily Mirror (Fri, 23 May 2008)
A new national centre for children traumatised by suicide is being established.  The purpose-built facility in Dublin, due to open in July, will offer professional services for youngsters whose family members have taken their own lives.  The Centre for Children Bereaved by Suicide in Cabra will he operated by national support group Console.

Appointment of suicide prevention officer for NI urged
Irish Times Subscription (Tue, 20 May 2008)
A suicide prevention officer should be appointed as part of a more robust approach to counter Northern Ireland’s rising rates of self-harm, Assembly members have been told. A report prepared by the Stormont Department of Health and Public Safety, published yesterday, recommended that existing structures should be strengthened by the establishment of a designated suicide prevention directorate.

Suicide service set up in Wexford
Wexford People (Wed, 14 May 2008)
A suicide Crisis Assessment Nurse (SCAN) service has been established in South Wexford.  The Health Service Executive are piloting the SCAN project in South Wexford with the possibility of expanding it further when it has been evaluated.

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