North Kerry CAMHS Review Finds Potential Harm in Over 200 Cases

More than 200 children treated by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in North Kerry were identified as being at risk of potential harm, according to an independent review published on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The review, commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE), examined the care of 374 children who were active on the North Kerry CAMHS team database in November 2022.

Key Findings of the Halpin Report

The report, conducted by Dr. Colette Halpin, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, categorized the risk levels as follows:

• Moderate Risk: 195 cases
• Major Risk: 2 cases
• Minor Risk: 12 cases
• No Extreme Harm: No cases were determined to be of extreme harm.

The review highlighted several concerning issues within the service, including:

• A high rate of prescribing anti-psychotic medicines.
• Non-compliance with recommended physical health assessments and monitoring.
• A low rate of individual or family psychotherapeutic intervention.
• The absence of standard operating procedures.

Prescribing Practices Under Scrutiny

The report revealed that 79% of patients attending the generic service were prescribed psychotropic medication, significantly higher than the 39% rate found in the HSE National Audit of Prescribing 2023. Polypharmacy – the prescription of two or more psychotropic medications simultaneously – was identified as a particular concern. Specifically, the medications Risperidone and Guanfacine were prescribed in the CAMHS Area B more frequently than the national average, and were associated with side effects like weight gain and sedation.

Reactions and Next Steps

Keith Rolls, a Tralee-based solicitor representing over 100 affected families, expressed shock at the findings, describing them as “very damning.” He emphasized the need for families to be included in the compensation scheme, similar to that offered in South Kerry CAMHS cases, and called for a comprehensive review extending back to 2010, when the clinician at the center of the report began working.

Hannah Ní Ghiolla Mhairtín, of Families for Reform of Camhs, stated that families are “heartbroken and angry,” emphasizing that the figures represent real children whose trust in the system has been broken.

Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler acknowledged “fundamental care deficits” and announced her intention to extend the compensation scheme to affected families, having discussed the matter with the Attorney General. She plans to visit Kerry on Thursday and Friday to meet with families and the regional health forum.

Dr. Amanda Burke, the HSE National Clinical Lead for Child and Youth Mental Health, stated that the report outlines the “ways in which many young people were failed by the mental health services that were provided to them.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin affirmed the need for “accountability from a clinical perspective” and indicated a referral would be made to the Medical Council regarding the case. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald highlighted the “devastating consequences” of negligent prescribing practices, including psychological distress, cognitive impairment, weight gain, sedation, and high blood pressure.

Background

The look-back review was initiated following a similar report in South Kerry CAMHS, which also identified concerns regarding patient care. The doctor whose work was scrutinized in the North Kerry report is no longer practicing medicine.