Concern at mental health system lacking a meaningful care plan

PEELING paint on dilapidated buildings, children stuck in adult wards, nurses running fundraisers to try to improve their patients’ comfort.

This wasn’t envisaged for the mental health system in the Planning for the Future policy document of 22 years ago. It is, however, the present for a significant number of the 20,000 patients admitted to residential psychiatric care in Ireland in an average year.

About 40% of all patients admitted last year spent three months or less in hospital so the turnover is frequent, but still, at any one time, there are about 3,475 inpatients, around 550 of which have been detained against their will.