As per latest reports, it has been revealed that 1,200 psychiatric nurses have retired over the last two years and 400 more nurses would retire next month from the psychiatric services under the Government’s early retirement scheme.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association has warned the government that this would lead mental hospitals in trouble and the patients would get vulnerable as there would very few nurses to take care of them. Association General Secretary Des Kavanagh told that he fears that the services would close as no care service could work in such a tensed situation where there are not enough health officials to take care of their patients.

“We are facing the horrendous prospect of leaving mentally vulnerable people without any services. It would be reasonable to forecast that there will be an increase in the suicide rates”, he further affirmed. Things have been deteriorating at a faster pace and it is a high time now that authorities concerned should take appropriate action.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has given assurance that they would look into the matter and have taken certain steps to ease the pressure on psychiatric nurses and doctors. They have claimed that the HSE has closed old residential beds and would further also look to make such cuts.

However, the association has told that the HSE needs to make their concepts clear as the old residential beds have already been closed and they have played no role in it. The association told that the loss would be seen across the country.

North Dublin has 38 vacancies for psychiatric nurses and there are not enough beds for the patients. Similar condition is prevailing in East Galway where 117 out 317 have left their jobs and in Roscommon, nurse count has dropped to 78 from 116.