Tony O’Brien: The children affected by the Camhs scandal have paid a terrible price but the consultants crisis is putting all health service users at risk

The paymasters have been at war with consultant doctors — and by extension non-consultant hospital doctors — for a decade, and no health service user has gone unscathed.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly: Agreed to a talks process to resolve the consultant recruitment crisis, but has yet to appoint an independent chair after the incumbent left. Picture: Julien Behal/RollingNews.ie

Dr Sean Maskey’s review of child and adolescent mental health services in Kerry’s Area A runs to 74 pages. It explains how 227 children treated by a non-consultant hospital doctor, identified as “NCHD1”, came to be exposed to a risk of significant harm through their diagnosis or treatment.

The risks included sedation, emotional and cognitive blunting, growth disturbance and serious weight changes, metabolic and endocrine disturbance, and psychological disturbance. Thirteen other children were unnecessarily exposed ...