Report on mental health premises

DEFICIENCIES IN QUALITY OF SERVICES IN SLIGO

CONCERNS ABOUT the quality of the premises used by the mental health services in Sligo have been expressed in a new report.

They are contained in a review by the Mental Health Commission.

The Sligo Leitrim Catchment Area Report 2013 says serious deficiencies were identified by staff in the quality of premises at Ballytivnan. Plans for the building of a new acute unit at Sligo General Hospital were being advanced with a provisional opening date of 2016.

The latest report of the Inspector of Mental Health Services for the Sligo service noted it was currently located in a 1930’ s building on two floors.

The male admission unit and the Special Care Unit were on the ground floor with the female admission unit was on the first floor. Plans were at an advanced stage for the closing of the Special Care Unit and the transfer of residents to a high support community residence. Once that was done, staff planned to move the whole service to the ground floor and close the upstairs ward.

The longer term plan was to open a new acute unit in Sligo General Hospital and close the service at Ballytivnan.

The report, recently published, was based on an unannounced visit to the three ward, 50 bed centre on July 25th 2013.

Its overall conclusion is that the centre was outdated and institutional in appearance.

Plans to move the special care unit to Benbulben Lodge had still not materialised.

This meant that acute new admissions continued to be placed alongside long term continuing care residents.

While additional occupational therapists and social workers had been appointed there was still a shortage of psychology, nursing and medical staff.

It was a matter of concern to the inspectors that despite recommendations that staff be released for mandatory training this hadn’t happened in 2010, 2011, 2012 and in 2013.