Mental hospital running ‘at capacity’

THE Central Mental Hospital is continuously operating at capacity. This is leading to people being detained in prison or in mental health hospitals inappropriately, the head of the Mental Health Commission has warned.

Hugh Kane said the situation with the hospital was ongoing, and to date no new location for a modern forensic hospital had been identified.

The mental health inspectorate’s report, published last month, says it is “most unsatisfactory” that there appears to be little prospect of providing modern forensic in-patient accommodation soon. A new central mental hospital was set to be developed at a new prison site Thornton Hall. But last year it was withdrawn.