The Mental Health Commission (MHC) has today published four inspection reports for approved inpatient mental health centres, including centres in Castlebar and  Galway city
The centres  in this region inspected  included:
St Anne’s Unit, Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar which received 94% compliance with the rules, regulations and codes of practice.
Adult Acute Mental Health Unit, University Hospital Galway, which received 83% compliance with the rules, regulations and codes of practice
Some areas of good practices observed over the course of the inspections highlighted include –  a new leaflet titled ‘Eating for a Healthy Heart’, developed and introduced at St Anne’s Unit, Sacred Heart Hospital to help residents improve cardiovascular health through diet.
At the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit at University Hospital Galway, four critical risk non-compliances  were observed. They included Regulations in Privacy; Premises; Risk Management Procedures; and the Rules Governing the Use of Seclusion.
The Mental Health Commission  requires corrective and preventive action plans  from all services where non-compliances are identified, each of which must address each non-compliance specifically.
It monitors the implementation of these plans  on an ongoing basis and requests further information and action as necessary.
Enforcement action is taken when it is concerned that the care and treatment provided in an approved centre may be at risk to the safety, health and wellbeing of residents, or where there has been a failure by the provider to address an ongoing area of non-compliance.