The HSE says it's confident that a review into child mental health services in South Kerry isn't impacting on children's care.
Last April, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said it was reviewing the files of over 1,500 children and young people who attended the South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services between 2016 and 2020.
There are concerns that the young service users were prescribed dangerously excessive amounts of medication.
A mother whose child attends South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) says her son, who's in primary school, was overprescribed medication for more than two years and had to go through withdrawals. Her child is now receiving appropriate medication but his mother says in recent months, since the review began, his appointments are frequently cancelled.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says the completion of the South Kerry CAMHS review scheduled for next month is delayed because of the HSE cyber-attack but that the delay is in the order of weeks, not months. It says there's no shortage of administrative staff, and that medical staff are in place and available to take calls.
Regarding the mother's claim that a consultant working for South Kerry CAMHS is leaving, the HSE says all possible arrangements are in place to make sure there's ongoing consultant cover for the team. It says it's confident that the review process isn't impacting on the care being provided and that the review is being carried out by a team that's entirely separate to the day-to-day operation of South Kerry CAMHS.
