Mental health facilities slated
Carried out by inspectors of the Mental Health Commission and published yesterday, issues raised include serious under-staffing, over-medication and buildings not fit for purpose.
In the report for the Central Mental Hospital, it is pointed out that the HSE recruitment embargo continues to pose a “serious and considerable strain” on the service.
Inspectors noted a lack of rehabilitation and community accommodation for women, and state there is “still no decision” on the modernisation of service.
St Vincent’s, according to the report, made seven child admissions in 2010 but is still not fully compliant with the code of practice to the admission of children.
Concern was also expressed over the number of people who were prescribed benzodiazepines, described as “extraordinarily high”.
The number of residents in the acute unit prescribed benzodiazepines was 97% and in the long-stay wards it was 90%.
At Carraig Mór in Cork the report says that it is “obvious that residents were remaining for too long” in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), due to the lack of a step-down unit and adequate rehabilitation.
At St Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork, the report highlighted a “dearth of community-based rehabilitation resources”, including the lack of a rehabilitation team and sufficient community residences with limited individualised progressive rehabilitation.
