Dr. Maya Sharma, a consultant psychiatrist who raised concerns about prescription practices at Kerry's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), has returned to Kerry and opened a private practice. She has also offered to return to her former role to help alleviate extensive waiting lists for public services.
Dr. Sharma initially raised concerns in a protected disclosure in 2020. Her actions led to her dismissal and subsequent homelessness in London, where she faced job difficulties due to negative references from the Health Service Executive (HSE). She has since received vindication in two HSE reports, praise from government ministers, and a court payout for being penalized for whistleblowing.
Despite her personal struggles, which included a near-fatal assault and sleeping at Heathrow Airport, Dr. Sharma has established "The Maya Sharma Practice" in Killarney. This new clinic is located near her former HSE office, which remains without a permanent consultant and relies on telemedicine.
Dr. Sharma stated that she feels a "guilt" charging patients privately when she could be serving them for free through the HSE. She emphasized that her private clinic is intended as an addition to, rather than a replacement for, the existing CAMHS services, which currently have a 12- to 15-month waiting list across the country, with approximately 4,000 children awaiting treatment.
"My clinic is an addition to the existing CAHMS services, not a replacement," Dr. Sharma said. "The idea is to add capacity to an under-resourced CAMHS that has a 12- to 15-month waiting list. We have 4,000 children on wait lists across the country."
Since opening her practice on August 8, Dr. Sharma has seen an increase in parents seeking private consultations due to their children's deteriorating conditions while on public waiting lists. She highlighted the critical need for early intervention, noting that children with a vulnerability to mental illness can experience more severe and frequent crises if not helped promptly.
Dr. Sharma's efforts to address the mental health crisis have gained attention, and she is expected to meet with Taoiseach Micheál Martin. The meeting follows a previous discussion between Mr. Martin, mental health campaigner Davin Godfrey, and Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, regarding CAMHS issues.
Davin Godfrey, who has become a prominent advocate for CAMHS victims, referred to Dr. Sharma as a "hero." Godfrey himself detailed experiences of being prescribed antipsychotic drugs and sedatives between the ages of seven and 19, which led to him developing breasts that required surgical removal. He is now pursuing a degree in law and politics and is involved in the campaign for a State apology for those affected by CAMHS failures.
Any formal State apology is pending the release of the second phase of a report into North Kerry CAMHS, expected early next year. The first phase of the report detailed the harm caused to hundreds of children, including Godfrey, due to inappropriate and unnecessary medication prescribed by CAMHS.