IRISH MENTAL HEALTH COALITION ELECTION 2007 ISSUES
“ Do you and Your Party commit to... ? ”Prioritising mental health expenditure
The government needs to ensure that mental health is given an adequate and equitable share in Budget 2008. If mental health is to achieve parity, financial resources for mental health services
should reach a minimum of 12% of the revenue health spend,from the present 6.8%.
Full Implementation of ‘A Vision for Change’
In January 2006, ‘A Vision for Change’ became the Government’s policy on mental health. It recommends significant changes and improvements in mental health services.The government needs to be held accountable for delivering and implementing its recommendations in full
and on time.
Restructuring of Mental Health Services
Present government policy as outlined in ‘A Vision for Change’ demands that all mental health services are restructured to ensure that they are person centred, user friendly, responsive to need and recovery orientated. This demands changed working practices by all professional staff.
Adequate Resourcing of Suicide Prevention Strategies
Present government funding of Suicide Prevention Strategies is inadequate. There is a need for significant increases in the resources allocated to the National Office for Suicide Prevention, Health Service Executive and voluntary agencies engaged in suicide prevention.
Equitable Distribution of Financial Resources
There is an urgent need for redistribution of financial allocations to each mental health catchment area on the basis of equity. Considerations such as the density of population, the socioeconomic status of population and the existence of special needs such as homelessness need to be taken into account when deciding on mental health budgets.
Relocating the Central Mental Hospital
The outgoing Government has decided to move this hospital to a new site, adjacent to the new Mountjoy Prison atThornton Hall.The IMHC believe that patients with mental illness should not be
located beside a prison for reasons of stigmatisation.This decision must be reversed in favour of one that respects the human rights of people with mental illness.
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