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| Mental health staff battle cash cuts to service | Mental health staff battle cash cuts to service |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| By Marie-Louise Connolly BBC Northern Ireland health correspondent | By Marie-Louise Connolly BBC Northern Ireland health correspondent |
| A former senior health trust manager has told the BBC that staff are struggling to make budget cuts while providing a sustainable service. | A former senior health trust manager has told the BBC that staff are struggling to make budget cuts while providing a sustainable service. |
| Four of the five trusts' senior managers in the area have left in the past year. | Four of the five trusts' senior managers in the area have left in the past year. |
| Professor Nicola Rooney, a former manager of psychology services at the Belfast Health Trust, said meeting targets was almost impossible. | Professor Nicola Rooney, a former manager of psychology services at the Belfast Health Trust, said meeting targets was almost impossible. |
| She said senior clinicians found it "extremely difficult". | She said senior clinicians found it "extremely difficult". |
| "Meeting waiting list targets was almost impossible. In the past year, four of the five service managers have taken early retirement," she said. | "Meeting waiting list targets was almost impossible. In the past year, four of the five service managers have taken early retirement," she said. |
| "These posts, quite often are not being filled at the same level and this is how savings are being made. We are concerned about the quality of service that is being provided. " | "These posts, quite often are not being filled at the same level and this is how savings are being made. We are concerned about the quality of service that is being provided. " |
| Undoubtedly, mental illness has become a modern day plague on society with health professionals struggling to keep it under control. | Undoubtedly, mental illness has become a modern day plague on society with health professionals struggling to keep it under control. |
| Last year, there were almost 9,000 admissions to mental health hospitals, while that figure has fallen slightly, those seeking help for depression and attempted suicide has increased dramatically. | Last year, there were almost 9,000 admissions to mental health hospitals, while that figure has fallen slightly, those seeking help for depression and attempted suicide has increased dramatically. |
| Anne, not her real name, is 42 and lives in County Down with her husband and children. She is typical of those who need regular psychological help. | Anne, not her real name, is 42 and lives in County Down with her husband and children. She is typical of those who need regular psychological help. |
| "In the past 18 months I have taken three overdoses," she said. | "In the past 18 months I have taken three overdoses," she said. |
| "At the worst it was such a very bleak, lonely and dark, dark place. I felt there was no way out. I hated myself, my life wasn't living." | "At the worst it was such a very bleak, lonely and dark, dark place. I felt there was no way out. I hated myself, my life wasn't living." |
| 'Debilitating' | 'Debilitating' |
| Anne waited a year before she was seen by a psychologist. Despite being admitted to her local accident and emergency unit and advised by a consultant that she urgently required help, Anne waited for 12 months. | Anne waited a year before she was seen by a psychologist. Despite being admitted to her local accident and emergency unit and advised by a consultant that she urgently required help, Anne waited for 12 months. |
| "On a day to day basis it was difficult to just get out of bed," she said. | "On a day to day basis it was difficult to just get out of bed," she said. |
| "Initially I stayed in bed for weeks, I couldn't function, even to put thoughts together to get dressed. Depression is such a debilitating illness. " | "Initially I stayed in bed for weeks, I couldn't function, even to put thoughts together to get dressed. Depression is such a debilitating illness. " |
| Anne is one of thousands in Northern Ireland who are prescribed anti-depressants. Last year the local bill for such drugs was £18m - more than twice the per capita spend in England. But, according to Anne, it was not the drugs that helped save her life, but the one-to-one regular treatment she received from the same psychologist. | Anne is one of thousands in Northern Ireland who are prescribed anti-depressants. Last year the local bill for such drugs was £18m - more than twice the per capita spend in England. But, according to Anne, it was not the drugs that helped save her life, but the one-to-one regular treatment she received from the same psychologist. |
| "The actual drugs they give you allow you to function on a very normal level, they helped me get out of bed, but that's as far as you get. | "The actual drugs they give you allow you to function on a very normal level, they helped me get out of bed, but that's as far as you get. |
| "The difference, however, with a therapist is night and day. There is someone there to listen to you and to explain things and to tell you that you will get better," she said. | "The difference, however, with a therapist is night and day. There is someone there to listen to you and to explain things and to tell you that you will get better," she said. |
| "It's a relationship that is extremely important to me. It's made a difference to my family, it's made a difference to the way I can deal with everyday life. | "It's a relationship that is extremely important to me. It's made a difference to my family, it's made a difference to the way I can deal with everyday life. |
| "I'm back at work. I have my good days and bad days, but I can learn how to deal with those." | "I'm back at work. I have my good days and bad days, but I can learn how to deal with those." |
| However, Anne's treatment with her psychologist is to come to an end. Cuts to the local health trust budget means temporary contracts are not being renewed and instead she will have to go back on a waiting list. | However, Anne's treatment with her psychologist is to come to an end. Cuts to the local health trust budget means temporary contracts are not being renewed and instead she will have to go back on a waiting list. |
| "I'm dreading it, since I was told it's almost been like a grieving process," she said. | "I'm dreading it, since I was told it's almost been like a grieving process," she said. |
| "I have built up trust with this person, she knows my inner thoughts and feelings and now I have to try and begin all over again. They have told me it will be September before I can be seen. " | "I have built up trust with this person, she knows my inner thoughts and feelings and now I have to try and begin all over again. They have told me it will be September before I can be seen. " |
| Dr Stephen Bergin, a consultant in public health medicine with the Public Health Agency, said he did not understand why Anne had to wait such a long time. | |
| He said he would look at her case if he was given more information. He added that mental health budgets would be protected wherever possible. | |
| "We have been working slowly in recent years to build up the level of investment in mental services. We now have the new regional psychological therapy strategy," Dr Bergin said. | |
| "Within that we have brought together the five trusts to try to address this so that we can improve the skills of our existing practitioners. | |
| "There are several thousand people in any given three-month period who present for treatment within the trusts. | |
| "The vast, vast majority of them are seen within a reasonably short time. The regional waiting list target is 13 weeks. Only 4% of people were not seen within that time period. | |
| "There's a lot of good news, 96% of people were seen within that short time period. That's considerably better than in years gone by. We have made progress." | |
| Vacant posts | Vacant posts |
| The chair of the British Psychological Society in Northern Ireland said savage cuts to psychology budgets within trusts is at odds with policy. | The chair of the British Psychological Society in Northern Ireland said savage cuts to psychology budgets within trusts is at odds with policy. |
| Professor Chris McCusker said cutting budgets only threatens to undermine the psychological strategy announced by the Department of Health last year. | Professor Chris McCusker said cutting budgets only threatens to undermine the psychological strategy announced by the Department of Health last year. |
| "The evidence is that there is a 15% cut in training commissions for new clinical psychologists," he said. | "The evidence is that there is a 15% cut in training commissions for new clinical psychologists," he said. |
| "There's also evidence of loss of posts, including cuts to locum and temporary posts, downgrading of some posts and vacant posts not being filled. " | "There's also evidence of loss of posts, including cuts to locum and temporary posts, downgrading of some posts and vacant posts not being filled. " |
| According to Anne's husband, the loss of access to therapy will have a detrimental effect on more than just the patient. | According to Anne's husband, the loss of access to therapy will have a detrimental effect on more than just the patient. |
| "You imagine being the partner and having to go to work, having to function normally and wondering whether the phone's going to ring and it's going to be your wife saying she's taken an overdose, or the ambulance service or the police phoning you to say that she's dead and living with that day after day for years," he said. | "You imagine being the partner and having to go to work, having to function normally and wondering whether the phone's going to ring and it's going to be your wife saying she's taken an overdose, or the ambulance service or the police phoning you to say that she's dead and living with that day after day for years," he said. |
| The health minister has reaffirmed his department's commitment to protect funding for suicide prevention. But on the ground there is evidence that either that money is not getting through or it is simply not enough. | The health minister has reaffirmed his department's commitment to protect funding for suicide prevention. But on the ground there is evidence that either that money is not getting through or it is simply not enough. |
| Anne and her husband said they went public with their private story in order to shock professionals to sit up and listen. | Anne and her husband said they went public with their private story in order to shock professionals to sit up and listen. |
| "With the cuts there are a lot of people who won't be in such a fortunate position as I was in and it's going to cost lives," she said. | "With the cuts there are a lot of people who won't be in such a fortunate position as I was in and it's going to cost lives," she said. |