Psychiatric patients not as closely monitored as before, says top nurse

Modern psychiatric care methods have resulted in patients not being as closely observed as they were in the past, it has emerged.

“If we want to endorse a policy which says that we nurse patients in the least restrictive and intrusive environment, we are then taking risks,” said Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) general secretary Des Kavanagh.

The HSE has confirmed that two separate tragic incidents occurred in mental health services on Monday.