Brian McKenna secures Regional Health Forum backing for retention of services at St. Davnet’s Hospital

North Monaghan Sinn Féin Councillor and member of the HSE Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, successfully moved a motion to that body calling for the retention of the Admissions Unit and Day Care Centre at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan. Significantly the motion was passed unanimously by all the members present at the meeting of the forum held on Monday last.

In moving the motion Cllr. Mckenna stated that St. Davnet’s had a “proud record of service stretching back a long number of years to people in need of psychiatric support from the Cavan and Monaghan areas”. Referring to the document ‘a vision for change’ which recommends the integration of people with psychiatric illnesses into the community as opposed to the institutionalisation method Cllr. McKenna said that St. Davnet’s had led the way in this respect and indeed was now used as a template by the authors of that report.

According to the Sinn Féin representative “St. Davnet’s is now been made the victim of its own success. However many professionals within the psychiatric services still believe that there is still a need for an admissions unit at St. Davnet’s catering for people with severe problems or who have no family to support them in the wider community”.

He continued: “The proposed closure of the ‘Day Centre’ runs contrary to stated government policy as set out in the aforementioned ‘vision for change’ which encourages care in the community.” Cllr. McKenna called on the HSE to recognise the tremendous contribution that St. Davnet’s had provided and continues to provide to those in need of psychiatric services. He also stated that the fact that the Regional Health Forum had unanimously supported a motion calling for the retention of these services presented a challenge to the HSE and the government; “will they accept the wishes of the only democratic forum established under the HSE system?” he asked.