Old psychiatric unit should be utilised to alleviate pressure

The psychiatric beds in Ballinasloe should be reopened immediately to help alleviate the chaos for patients being treated in Galway City, where security cameras were broken, a fire had recently broken out and vulnerable, mentally ill people were let wander off.

That was the call by Galway City Cllr Catherine Connolly whose motion calling on the €2.8 million acute psychiatric unit in Ballinasloe – closed before it had barely opened in 2013 – got unanimous support at last week’s Regional Health Forum West meeting.

She said it was clear that the HSE was woefully under-prepared for the impact of that closure. The agency had been repeatedly warned by councillors there would be an influx of patients as a result of concentrating all resources in an over-burdened city service.

That was apparent by the increase of staff the HSE was forced into following a Labour Relations Commission hearing sparked by a walk-out over staffing and safety levels.

The nursing staff had been increased from 50 to 64, with an additional five one-on-one specialists brought in to care for the most acutely ill.

In late July a patient started a fire in the locker room in the psychiatric unit which staff were alerted to by a smoke alarm.

“Nursing staff quickly opened the door and removed the patient from the area. Security assisted and there was no need for evacuation of the unit.

“An incident review was carried out and a further review will be carried out by the Health and Safety Committee,” according to a report released at the meeting.

Cllr Connolly said it was shocking to read in the Galway City Tribune of patients wandering out of the unit.

In one case, a patient was found wandering in his pyjamas along roads late at night in Menlo. In another, a high risk patient absconded only to take his own life shortly after.