Mental Health Services Crisis: 1,320 Turned Away from Drogheda Facility in 2024
Ardee News and Sport – Mental Health Services Crisis: 1,320 Turned Away from Drogheda Facility in 2024
A life-threatening crisis in psychiatric services for Louth and Meath has been highlighted following shocking figures revealing that an average of 30 people per week were refused mental health services last year.
HSE data shows that in 2024, some 1,320 individuals experiencing a mental health crisis were turned away from the Cross Lanes Psychiatric facility in Drogheda. In addition, a further 283 people left before receiving care, intensifying concerns over the accessibility and adequacy of mental health services in the region.
All the literature from the HSE and government tells us to speak up and ask for help when we have a mental health crisis. Yet, the local service provider, Drogheda Department of Psychiatry, turned away 1,320 people who were experiencing a crisis in 2024.
Limited Beds and Overburdened Services
Currently, the Drogheda facility is the only psychiatric inpatient service available for the combined population of Louth and Meath, which stands at approximately 360,000 people. It has just 46 psychiatric beds, a number that Cllr Lawes argues is dangerously inadequate.
Calls for Reform and Investment In Mental Health Services
The HSE responded by detailing the mental health service provision across the wider region. It noted that Cavan-Monaghan Mental Health Service has transitioned towards a community-based approach, reducing the dependency on hospital-based care. Currently, there are 20 staffed residential rehabilitation beds in the Cavan-Monaghan service, with an additional three beds temporarily out of commission due to renovations.
Meanwhile, Dublin North County and Dublin North City & West have 257 community residential beds available, providing different levels of support. However, these beds serve a significantly larger population, meaning access remains an issue for those in Louth and Meath.
Urgent Action Needed In Mental Health Services
The mental health service needs an urgent review of inpatient psychiatric services and additional funding to increase the number of beds available. The system is underfunded and in urgent need of investment and reorganisation. Unless action is taken now, we will continue to see more preventable tragedies unfold.
As mental health awareness campaigns urge people to seek help, the reality on the ground suggests that services are struggling to meet demand. With hundreds of people left without support, there are growing calls for the government and HSE to prioritise mental health services before further lives are lost.
Limited Beds and Overburdened Services
Currently, the Drogheda facility is the only psychiatric inpatient service available for the combined population of Louth and Meath, which stands at approximately 360,000 people. It has just 46 psychiatric beds, a number that Cllr Lawes argues is dangerously inadequate.
Calls for Reform and Investment
The HSE responded by detailing the mental health service provision across the wider region. It noted that Cavan-Monaghan Mental Health Service has transitioned towards a community-based approach, reducing the dependency on hospital-based care. Currently, there are 20 staffed residential rehabilitation beds in the Cavan-Monaghan service, with an additional three beds temporarily out of commission due to renovations.
Meanwhile, Dublin North County and Dublin North City & West have 257 community residential beds available, providing different levels of support. However, these beds serve a significantly larger population, meaning access remains an issue for those in Louth and Meath.
Urgent Action Needed In Mental Health Services
The mental health service needs an urgent review of inpatient psychiatric services and additional funding to increase the number of beds available. The system is underfunded and in urgent need of investment and reorganisation. Unless action is taken now, we will continue to see more preventable tragedies unfold.
As mental health awareness campaigns urge people to seek help, the reality on the ground suggests that services are struggling to meet demand. With hundreds of people left without support, there are growing calls for the government and HSE to prioritise mental health services before further lives are lost.