Health Minister Urged To Address Lack Of CAMHS Beds For Children And Teenagers

Almost 4 ,000 children were waiting for a CAMHS appointment from last October to February of this year.

According to figures released by the HSE, 3,914 children were waiting for a consultation, an increase of 849 in a five month period.

It comes as the number of CAMHS beds has reduced across the country with the closure of 11 beds at the Linn Dara Unit in Dublin.

The figures found 9 percent of teenagers are waiting longer than 12 months for an appointment with the service.

While Head of The Psychiatric Nurses Association Peter Hughes recognises the difficulty in the recruitment of nurses, he's urging Health Minister Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly to look at other incentives.