Dr Susan Finnerty, Inspector of Mental Health Services
Patients’ dignity breached by security guards wandering through psychiatric unit
Guards used in restraints at request of staff
The sight of security guards roaming freely through a mental health unit was a breach of patients’ dignity, a watchdog has ruled.
Inspectors from the Mental Health Commission (MHC) who visited the Acute Psychiatric Unit at Ennis General Hospital, Co Clare, were told the centre employed security personnel to assist staff in physical restraint, if requested.
It was also noted that the security personnel were on site during the inspection of the facility which had a total of 39 beds – with five designated to psychiatry of later life – at the time of visit from the MHC.
The Mid-West Public Health Department has issued a hand hygiene appeal after an outbreak of VTEC e-coli.
Two critical and six high risk ratings at Ennis Acute Psychiatric Unit Share
THE Mental Health Commission (MHC) has reported concerns around the privacy and dignity of residents following the publication of an announced inspection report regarding the acute psychiatric unit in Ennis. “The inspection team found that the presence of security personnel in one centre when they were not required and without due cause was deemed a breach of resident dignity,” said the Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty. “With security personnel walking freely through the centre when they are clearly not required, residents may understandably feel that staff and management believe residents to be a threat to staff and other residents on a continuing and ongoing basis. Having security personnel visible to residents is not acceptable and is an affront to their dignity and p
Limerick s Live 95
Search By Live95 News Team The acute psychiatric unit 5B has recorded two high risk ratings in their latest inspection.
The report carried out by The Mental Health Commission found non-compliance on the regulation for some individual care plans and was identified as high-risk for non-compliance in the rules governing the use of electro-convulsive therapy.
However the centre s overall compliance rating was up at 86 percent compared to 71 percent two years ago.
The unit which is located on the campus of UHL but is run by HSE midwest community healthcare has four, five and six-bed dormitory style accommodation, as well as two rooms each with two beds, and three single rooms.
Concerns over high-risk non-compliance with rules and regulations at Acute Psychiatric Unit in Limerick
Reporter:
david.hurley@limerickleader.ie );
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SIGNIFICANT concerns have been expressed in relation to the non-compliance with certain rules and regulations at Unit 5B at University Hospital Limerick.
The Mental Health Commission - an independent statutory agency - has published a report following an inspection of the Acute Psychiatric Unit last September.
While inspectors found two areas of high risk they noted an improvement in the unit s overall compliance when compared to previous reports.
The most significant breach of regulation related to the failure to ensure that each resident has an individual care plan. The report states that five individual care plans were examined during the inspection last September and that multiple issues were identified.