A&E departments are no place for someone experiencing a mental health crisis – Sorca Clarke TD
17 April 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Sorca Clarke TD, has said that accident and emergency departments are no place for someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
Responding following the publication of the Mental Health Commission’s report, Deputy Clarke added that 50,000 people trying to access mental health services for the first time through hospital emergency departments each year is a clear indicator that the system is broken, and is failing our young people, adults and elderly.
Teachta Clarke said:
“Government should hang their heads in shame with over 50,000 people trying to access mental health services, for the first time, through hospital emergency departments, each year.
“A&E is no place for someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
“It is clear that A&E departments across the state are becoming a default option for people experiencing mental health issues, yet they remain under equipped to provide timely and specialised care that these individuals desperately need.
“They are already understaffed and under-resourced, with a clear lack of psychiatrists, clinical nurse specialists, crisis teams and other mental health professionals. The lack of parity in service provision is another geographic lottery in our health service.
“Expecting someone in psychological distress to navigate what can be a loud and busy A&E, often hours on end, with no access to trained mental health professionals is not acceptable. A&E is designed for medical emergencies and can be a distressing environment for someone with a mental health issue. It’s crucial there is access to mental health services that are specialised and can address the unique needs of individuals in crisis.
“Unlike patients presenting with physical injuries, those seeking mental health assistance often face long waits and more often than not, face the real risk of being discharged without meaningful intervention or leaving without being seen. For many, it really is a matter of life or death and should be treated with urgency and the utmost care in a private and safe space.
“50,000 people trying to access mental health services for the first time, through hospital emergency departments, each year is a clear indicator that the system is broken, that the system is failing our young people, adults, and elderly.
“Crisis does not happen overnight. It builds over time through weeks, months and years of delayed proper support and treatment. If mental health services were properly funded and resourced, the number of people presenting to A&E would dramatically decrease. Proper investment in early intervention and prevention is critical and can be life saving.
“Sinn Féin, though our 5-Year Mental Health Plan, have shown how we would transform the delivery of mental health services across the country through a combination of 24/7, community-based multidisciplinary services to provide rapid assessment and varying degrees of support to people who are in a mental health crisis, develop universal access to community-based therapies, counselling and support, alongside addressing the crisis in emergency, urgent and acute services including access to Crisis Resolution Teams and Crisis Cafés within the community.
“Out Mental Health Action Plan is based on fairness, access to high quality local services, early intervention, prevention and suicide reduction. We would ensure parity of esteem between mental and physical health.”
