Almost 10 months after funding was approved, recruitment for an out-of-hours mental health crisis nursing team in Galway city has begun.
Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler confirmed last week that hiring is now underway, while University Hospital Galway (UHG ) is planning a swift introduction of the new service once nurses are found.
New specialist crisis nursing teams are meant to relieve pressure on 10 major emergency departments across the country, as part of a wider programme of mental health crisis service reform.
The ten hospitals, including UHG, will appoint four-strong crisis teams, each comprising two Advanced Nurse Practitioners and two Clinical Nurse Specialists.
Joe Loughnane, an advocate for improved mental health crisis support in emergency departments, said while the recruitment of these new teams is a step in the right direction, it does not treat the root causes of the issue.
Speaking to the Advertiser, Mr Loughnane questioned why the recruitment is starting only now, nearly 10 months after the initiative was announced in the October budget.
He also pointed out that specialist nurses will only be sent to major hospitals, meaning those in crisis still need access to one of those facilities, where emergency departments are often overcrowded.
“What’s the point of sending them to the emergency room if it’s already overcrowded?” said Mr Loughnane.
Last week, UHG said it was postponing elective surgeries because of overcrowding, and directed the public to consider out-of-hours GP surgeries or the Roscommon Injury Unit instead of its ED for non-urgent care.
Following the suicide of his brother, Adam, soon after presenting at the ED at UHG in February 2025, Mr Loughnane is campaigning for the adoption of ‘Adam’s Protocols’. These include the provision of a crisis mental health admission path, physically separate to the main emergency department.
Other countries have adopted similar practices, such as the EmPATH (Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing ) units in many American cities.
Representatives from Mental Health Reform, a charity, and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, told the Joint Committee on Health at the Oireachtas last week that emergency rooms are “wholly unsuitable” for mental health crises, and called for dedicated spaces for mental health emergencies.
While he welcomed the news from Minister Butler, Galway East TD Pete Roche (FG ) echoed this concern. He says people in crisis need environments that are calm, safe and staffed by appropriately trained professionals, able to provide immediate, appropriate support.
“These patients should not be left in crowded waiting rooms or corridors where their condition can deteriorate further,” he said.
In a statement, Minister Butler said while her department is directing major investment towards community-based alternatives to emergency departments, “we know from both evidence and experience that hospitals must also be equipped to provide a more effective and compassionate response to people in acute mental distress.”
Fellow Galway East TD, Minister of State Seán Canney, welcomed the announcement. “This is a very important investment for University Hospital Galway and for people across Galway and the wider west who need urgent mental health support at some of the most difficult moments in their lives.”
University Hospital Galway is one of the ten hospitals nationwide selected to pilot a specialist, out-of-hours crisis nursing team.
The HSE said that planning work is underway to establish the service, and recruitment is progressing to fill the approved posts. The Department of Health and HSE are planning to expand these teams to more hospitals in future.
The HSE declined to comment on how long the recruitment process will take, or when these new teams are expected to be in place.
