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Gib has 'enough’ psychiatrists, but concerns about ‘inordinate delays’ persist

Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez insisted this week that Gibraltar has “a sufficient number” of psychiatrists in its health service, despite persistent concern over “inordinate” delays accessing appointments.

Ms Arias-Vasquez was asked about the issue in Parliament on Wednesday by GSD MP Joelle Ladislaus.

She said there were six psychiatrists employed, four who work full-time and two who work part-time, and five psychologists.

“As I have always said, there are plenty of improvements to be made within the service,” Ms Arias-Vasquez said.

“But the advice that I am receiving consistently is that six psychiatrists and five psychologists for a population of 35,000 people should indeed be sufficient.”

She added: “There is always a psychiatrist on call 24/7, 365 days of the year.”

But not everyone agrees the resources are enough.

Ms Ladislaus noted that the Mental Welfare Society had just this week told GBC that some patients faced lengthy delays to see a psychiatrist, urging the minister to explain why.

“The Mental Welfare Society raised the issue that some patients were waiting up to 12 months to see psychiatrists, not the five months that the minister stated previously,” Ms Ladislaus said.

The GSD MP said it was not just charities but also members of the public who were “constantly and consistently” raising concerns “that there aren't enough appointments going around”.

“We had one particular example over the Christmas period where a person was left 18 days to access Bruce's Farm simply because they needed to be assessed by a psychiatrist,” Ms Ladislaus said, asking the minister whether there was sufficient resilience in the service.

Ms Arias-Vasquez said that the elective procedure to enter Bruce’s Farm took five days and that over holiday periods, while there was one psychiatrist on duty, such a procedure would not normally be carried out.

The minister said clinicians had told her there was resilience in the service.

“I am advised by clinicians what the right number of psychiatrists are,” she said.

“If I stand here and I say we have six psychiatrists and five psychologists, it would seem that for a population of 35,000 people, those numbers are about right [and] significantly more than what we had in 2011.”

“And what I would say is that we are consistently looking at ways to improve the efficiencies of the way that those services are carried out in order to improve the service.”

“I am not saying that the service does not need to be improved. That is far from what I am saying.”

“But what I am saying is that I am advised that we have a sufficient number of clinicians employed in order to deliver a service.”

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