Rise in risk to patients at mental health unit

Overall compliance with regulations has slipped by 11% at Galway’s mental health unit, where a number of risks were highlighted in a new inspection report.

Six areas of non-compliance with the Mental Health Act were identified at the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit (AAMHU) of University Hospital Galway last year.

These included one area of high risk and five areas of moderate risk.

The Mental Health Commission, an independent body, which inspected the 50-bed unit, said overall compliance at the centre was 83% in 2021.

This compared with 94% the previous year but was still an improvement on the 2019 (64% compliance) and 2018 (81% compliance) ratings.

The 78-page inspection report published last week, highlighted non-compliance with risk-management procedures. The AAMHU was compliant in this category in the previous three years but a high risk was identified by inspectors in this category last year.

Moderate risks from non-compliance with regulations and rules were identified relating to transfer of patients, privacy, staffing, register of residents, and the code of practice on admission, transfer and discharge of patients to and from the facility.

Dr Susan Finnerty, the Mental Health Commission’s Inspector of Mental Health Services, said: “It is concerning to see that doors to en-suite bathrooms in the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit in Galway were removed without due regard to residents’ privacy and dignity. While the reasons for the removal may be to mitigate a risk, this was not balanced with residents’ right to privacy and dignity.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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