10 children were admitted to an adult mental health unit in Kerry last year.
The Mental Health Commission’s annual report contains information on mental health unit registrations, inspection reports and compliance. The commission regulates, promotes and supports the rights, health and wellbeing of people who access mental health and decision support services.
As reported earlier this year, the Sliabh Mis Mental Health Admission Unit, which is in University Hospital Kerry, was 93% compliant when inspected. There were 58 instances of overcapacity reported in 2020 by approved centres, which includes the Sliabh Mis unit.
The Mental Health Commission also reports on child admissions to adult psychiatric units. The commission says children and young people should not be admitted to adult units except in exceptional circumstances.
The reason for most admissions to adult units is due to an immediate risk to the young person or others, or the lack of a bed in a specialist CAMHS unit. The UHK unit had ten child admissions into its adult facility last year, the highest in the country.
In recent years, there have been concerns raised over the number of young people waiting to access child and adolescent mental health services in Cork and Kerry.
