Commission flags major concerns with Selskar House
A Wexford town mental health unit has come in for significant criticism in an inspection report published by the Mental Health Commission. The report identified three ‘high-risk non-compliance ratings’ which occurred in the areas of privacy, premises and general health at Selskar House, a 20 bed facility for elderly patients located on the ground floor of the Farnogue Residential Healthcare Unit on the Old Hospital Road.
In the area of privacy, the report stated that one resident’s window was broken and the resulting draft had caused them some discomfort. Staff were observed to stand over residents to assist with feeding at mealtimes; and two residents had to eat their meals at a table on a corridor as the dining room was observed to be too small for the current resident population and profile.
Inspectors also stated that the centre was ‘not maintained in a good state of repair internally’ and that numerous issues were noted including stained flooring, faulty sink taps, peeling fire door seal, a cracked window pane, two broken shower screens, a missing wardrobe door, a broken bedroom window, a broken door handle and lock and broken door hold-back mechanisms on multiple bedroom doors.
The report by the commission did state that some of the issues were already identified by the service and reported to the maintenance team, but the response rate was ‘extremely slow’ with ‘many of the reported faults awaiting repair for over three months’.
‘While faults in the environment had been reported to the maintenance team many months previous, they were still not addressed,’ said the Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr. Susan Finnerty.
‘Other identified faults were not reported at all. Although issues concerning the responsiveness of the maintenance team were repeatedly discussed at the local quality and patient safety meetings, this had not translated into a responsive and effective maintenance service at Selskar House. The general lack of progress contributed to a sense of resignation and acceptance of this situation amongst staff.’
‘When basic faults such as broken windows and doors are reported, there must be an efficient maintenance system in place to repair these issues as soon as possible,’ added Dr. Finnerty. ‘This is to ensure that the comfort of residents is maintained, and due regard is given to the specific needs of residents, and the safety and well-being of residents, staff and visitors.’
On the positive end of things, the report did note that the centre had improved compliance from 68% in 2018 to 77% in 2019 and that 11 compliances were rated as ‘excellent’.
It observed that the centre was spacious and bright and a number of quality initiatives were identified on the inspection, including the introduction of a new physical restraint checklist to help ensure all necessary processes are adhered to; the installation of Wi-Fi within the approved centre and the acquisition of an electronic tablet for the purposes of enhancing resident communication.