"There were consistent calls across all stakeholder groups - people with lived experience, HSE staff, NGOs, advocates and professionals - that Emergency Departments are not appropriate settings for those in a mental-health crisis, and that Mental Health A&Es and 24/7 Crisis Care Centres are essential."
"That's crucial because the actual thing we're proposing, this idea of a dedicated space for people in a mental health crisis, is not new and has been proposed previously in Ireland by other campaign groups and by families bereaved by suicide."
"Those in acute distress require environments designed to minimise triggering, chaotic or traumatising experiences, not general A&E units already un[der pressure]."
Joe Loughnane presented a 67-page report to the Oireachtas Public Petitions Committee advocating for 'Adam's Protocol' following his brother Adam's death by suicide in February 2025. Adam died after leaving University Hospital Galway's emergency department where he sought help. The protocol reflects over a decade of public demand for improved mental-health supports and emphasizes that emergency departments are inappropriate settings for mental health crises. Stakeholders including people with lived experience, HSE staff, NGOs, and professionals consistently called for dedicated Mental Health A&Es and 24/7 Crisis Care Centres. The proposal distinguishes itself from previous campaigns by offering concrete solutions rather than solely documenting service failures. The protocol advocates for environments specifically designed to minimize triggering or traumatizing experiences for those in acute distress.
#mental-health-crisis-care #healthcare-system-reform #suicide-prevention #emergency-department-policy #mental-health-infrastructure
Read at Irish Independent
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]