Vulnerable woman in 'completely substandard' arrangement to be detained in secure psychiatric unit

A vulnerable young woman is to be detained in a secure hospital psychiatric unit after the High Court told the HSE it must devise a better plan for her than a "completely substandard" arrangement under which she was leaving an open unit and regularly accessing street drugs.

Earlier this week, Mr Justice Peter Kelly said because the woman is a ward of court, he is responsible for her safety and the HSE had to urgently come with a better proposal than an open unit, a rehabilitation unit for people with long-term mental illness. It was not suitable and she “could end up dead”, he said.