Letterkenny University Hospital has been found to have a ‘huge disconnect’ between the emergency department and mental health services.
A report from the Mental Health Commission reveals that there is a ‘distinct disparity’ in how mental health patients are treated in the ED.
The report shows the need to increase the range of acute mental health services nationally to improve urgent access and quality of unscheduled mental health care.
The Commission found that Letterkenny University Hospital’s ED doesn’t have an established process for identifying mental health patients who require further care.
The lack of appropriate facilities for mental health staff in the emergency department was highlighted, specifically a lack of access to an appropriate assessment room.
The report described a “distinct disparity” in the way mental health patients are treated and pointed out a “huge disconnect” between the ED and mental health services.
Approximately 900 patients with mental health needs presented at the hospital’s ED in 2023.
