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Minister Kathleen Lynch Welcomes Positive Developments in the areas of Disability and Mental Health in HSE South Region

Minister Kathleen Lynch welcomed the publication today of the HSE South Regional Service Plan. The Plan highlights a number of new initiatives in the areas of disability and mental health despite the Region operating from a reduced financial position. This has been achieved through careful consideration and input from HSE senior managers and clinicians, and through the ongoing development of close working relationships and partnerships with groups and associations in the voluntary sector.

The new initiatives include:

Disability

• The transitioning of 10 adults with an intellectual disability from Grove House into community based, inclusive and person centred services with the support of the COPE Foundation team
• The opening of an 8 bedded regional specialised therapeutic service for Cork and Kerry to support adults with intellectual disability who present behaviour that challenges
• In line with the congregated setting policy, A Time to Move On, the implementation of 11 demonstration projects in partnership with Genio, to lead on the move towards a person-centred model of service and support

Mental Health

• A new replacement acute inpatient unit to be developed at Cork University Hospital commencing in March
• A reconfiguration of acute in-patient services away from old institutional settings towards modern community based services
• Development of plans for more appropriate modern residential services and a move away from long term hostel accommodatio
• The move to a 7 day service Acute Day Service in Day Hospitals
• Appropriate allocation from the additional 2013 €35m national funding for mental health to be utilised in 2013 to enhance Community Mental Health Team capacity in General Adult and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, to support the development of services for older people with a mental illness, those with an intellectual disability and mental illness and forensic services.
• Further investment will also be made in implementing the recommendations of the suicide prevention strategy Reach Out.
• The establishment of a comprehensive community-based, person centred response to dementia in Kinsale in partnership with K-CORD

Welcoming the publication of the Plan, Minister Lynch said “as Minister of State with responsibility for Disability and Mental Health I am especially pleased to see the improvement in disability and mental health services that are envisaged in the Plan. These improvements will, I believe, enhance care and treatment for service users across the HSE South Region. Progress thus far has been achieved by working together in partnership at local and regional level and I look forward to supporting this work into the future”.

ENDS