Mental health facilities show high compliance and responded well to Covid-19 challenges, commission finds

Mental Health Commission CEO John Farrelly. Picture Jason Clarke

Recent inspections of mental health facilities in Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Monaghan show high compliance with standards and how management and staff responded to protect patients from Covid-19 last year.

That is according to the Mental Health Commission, which found that two of three facilities inspected in 2020 were 100% compliant with standards.

The 40-bed Haywood Lodge facility near South Tipperary General Hospital and St Luke’s Mental Health Services in Clonmel town achieved top marks across more than 30 areas during inspection, having improved its score from 88% in 2019.

The commission noted that a range of restrictions were introduced to protect vulnerable residents, including a restriction of visitors to two nominated people, and permitting visits by pre-arrangement.

In Kilkenny, St Gabriel’s Ward also achieved top marks and 100% compliance when inspected by the commission last year, representing a 12% increase on the previous inspection in 2019.

The 20-bed unit located on the grounds of St Canice’s Hospital in Kilkenny, the inspectors noted, was reconfigured into two separate zones and an isolation section to manage Covid-19 and protect frail and vulnerable residents.

The inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty, said the inspections show how the centres responded to the pandemic by introducing visitor restrictions, cleaning regimes, and reconfiguring buildings to better shield frail and elderly residents and provide space for isolating those with Covid-19.

She said while they were confident the safety measures were taking place from ongoing conversations with the centres, "it was reassuring to verify them at inspection".

Commission chief executive John Farrelly noted how the pandemic saw plans to open a unit in Monaghan being fast-tracked to ensure the safety of patients.

Two bungalow units, each with eight single bedrooms, opened on St Davnet’s campus during the first wave of infection in April last year, replacing the outdated congregated setting in an old hospital building.

“This is very clear when you consider the case of the former Blackwater House unit in Monaghan which was an old 19th century building with dormitory-style accommodation that was entirely unsuitable in the context of the pandemic,” he said, adding that the unit was poised for closure last year given the associated risks presented by the building.

“As a result, the opening of the new Blackwater House unit — which saw residents accommodated in single, en suite bedrooms — was expedited and residents were transferred to the new unit in late April,” he said.

The new Monaghan facility received a 90% compliance rating from the commission, which identified some issues with individual care plans and staff training and also instructed the facility to pause any direct admissions or transfers of residents to the centre.