The findings into how children were treated by state mental health services in South Kerry will be seen in time as a landmark report.
That’s the view of Michael Fitzgerald who retired as chief officer of the HSE’s Cork Kerry Community Healthcare earlier this month.
The HSE commissioned UK-based Dr Sean Maskey to carry out a report into the treatment young people received at South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services between 2016 and 2020.
The Maskey report was published last year and found that significant harm was caused to 46 children while a further 227 were put at risk of serious harm.
Michael Fitzgerald had been working for the HSE at a national level before he was appointed chief officer of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare in July 2020.
He said if there are to be any positives out of the South Kerry CAMHS scandal, for which he apologised on behalf of the HSE, it will help ensure the better provision of care in child mental health and other specialised, multidisciplinary services.
Michael Fitzgerald worked for the health service for 40 years.
The retired officer of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said when the national HSE system replaced the regional health board structure almost 20 years ago, there should have been more investment in technology.
