Bodywhys – the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland has requested Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD, to intervene immediately over the closure of 11 CAMHS beds at Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in West Dublin, due to a staffing crisis. This is a specialist inpatient unit for children and adolescents with complex mental illnesses, including eating disorders.

Ellen Jennings, Communications Officer at Bodywhys said:

”As a consequence of COVID-19 there has been a significant increase in young people presenting with eating disorders to CAMHS. At a time when eating disorder presentations have increased, bed capacity needs to meet that need, not be reduced. We are calling on the Minister to intervene as a matter of urgency to ensure that inpatient beds are sourced right across service provision, including in the private sector to ensure that there is no delay in urgent treatment needs.”

“Last week, a delegation from Bodywhys met with members of the Oireachtas Sub-committee on Mental Health to detail the case for the recommendations of ‘Sharing the Vision – a Mental Health Policy for All’ to be fully implemented. The specialist inpatient unit at Linn Dara is critical for the provision of interventions, care and supervision that cannot be provided by community and outpatient services.”

Statement ends.