Statement by Minister for Mental Health on the publication of the Mental Health Commission thematic review of mental healthcare in hospital Emergency Departments

"I welcome the report of the Chief Inspector of the Mental Health Commission into acute mental health care in hospital Emergency Departments. My priority is that people in mental health crisis are provided with timely assessment and support in an appropriate environment that keeps them safe.

"People experiencing mental health distress and illness often find busy Emergency Departments - especially out-of-hours - the wrong setting for their needs, and we know this is the reason some people leave before meeting a clinician.

"Our ambition is to develop real alternative care pathways and therapeutic environments to reduce the number of people who have to attend Emergency Departments for acute care. This includes the development of the Crisis Resolution Teams and the establishment of Crisis Cafes working out-of-hours and in the community to enable recovery.

"I have expressed my impatience to the HSE at the pace of change, and so this report from the Mental Health Commission is a timely reinforcement of the need for my department and the HSE to intensify efforts to expand access to these alternatives to Emergency Departments.

"I have asked officials in my department to work with the HSE to ensure that the recommendations from this report are swiftly acted upon, in particular those related to better liaison between teams, timely assessments, and improved access to out-of-hours support for children in emergencies."