Violence amongst patients in psychiatric hospitals increasing, says report

A new report has found that violence amongst patients is on the increase in our psychiatric hospitals - with St Brendan's and St. Ita's hospitals in Dublin worst effected.

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture at the Council of Europe found that living conditions were very poor at these hospitals and that they lacked sufficient and experienced staff.

It also looked at our prisons and found that most of them are dangerously overcrowded.

Psychiatrist Pettur Hauksson, a member of the CPT, which carried out the report, said: "Better facilities and increased numbers of staff is what is needed in order to deal with these high levels of violence."