Irish Medical Times Medical News for Healthcare Professionals
A child remained in an adult psychiatric unit in Cork for a number of weeks despite the fact that a bed was available in the nearby child and adolescent unit, according to the Mental Health Commission.
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The latest inspection report from the Commission’s Inspector of Mental Health Services, on the South Lee Mental Health Unit in Cork University Hospital, revealed that a child was an inpatient in the adult unit for a number of weeks, despite the availability of a bed in the nearby Child and Adolescent inpatient facility.
The report also revealed that despite the fact that staff at the adult unit had sought a bed for the child in the adolescent inpatient unit, they were not aware that a bed was available.
According to the report, “from information provided to the Inspectorate by the local Child and Adolescent inpatient unit, a vacancy arose in that unit five days after the admission of the adolescent to the South Lee Mental Health Unit, but this information was not provided to staff”.
The report on the adult unit at CUH also revealed that there were insufficient showering facilities, some of the toilets were in poor condition and there were a number of ligature anchor points in the male accommodation area. It also noted that a new inpatient unit was “well under way on the main hospital campus”.
The Cork report was one of a number of reports released recently by the Inspectorate. Others covered units in Bantry General Hospital, Cappahard Lodge in Co Clare, and the acute mental health units in Kerry General and University Hospital Ennis.
The report on Cappahard Lodge, outside Ennis, revealed that there had been five deaths in 2014 to the date of inspection (July 10, 2014).
According to the report, while all deaths had been reported to the Mental Health Commission, two of these deaths had been notified to the Commission in a time frame “well outside the required 48-hour period”.
The report also revealed that adequate arrangements were not in place for residents to access speech and language therapy and a significant number of residents had not had a six-monthly physical examination carried out. In some instances these physical checks had been due for the past three months prior to the date of inspection, the Inspectorate noted.
