Local GPs are said to have serious concerns in relation to the provision of mental health services in North Tipperary.
Deputy Jackie Cahill has highlighted the situation in the Dáil following recent conversations with local doctors.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was told that there are issues in North Tipp with retaining trained professionals in two consultant positions due to a lack of team supports which are said to be essential to ensure that proper services are provided to those in need locally.
Fianna Fáil T.D. Jackie Cahill said there must be an end to what he described as the post-code lottery system that patients across the country are currently seeing, with North Tipperary not faring as well as other areas.
Speaking in the Dáil the Thurles Deputy said there are three mental health clinics in North Tipperary – in Thurles, Nenagh and Roscrea. He has been contacted by a number of GPs locally who are extremely frustrated about the lack of resources available.
Two consultants are assigned to the area but retaining them is virtually impossible because of the lack of teams that they have behind them.
Deputy Cahill continued to detail where mental health services in North Tipperary are falling short of essential resources saying they need psychiatric nurses, counsellors and psychologists. Without these backup teams for the consultants he says these mental health clinics are not going to work efficiently.
