Selected extracts of the Inspector of Mental Health Services 2004 Report.
Central Mental Hospital, Dublin
"All areas of the hospital inspected were dirty. The conditions in all units and the hostel were extremely poor and of an unacceptable standard. There were broken and dirty outside toilets in the external courtyards. These toilets are still in use, but offer no privacy. The bathroom areas on the units were extremely dirty and offered no privacy. In the seclusion rooms, there was little ventilation and no means to control the temperature. In some units there was a strong smell of urine. The number of toilets and showering facilities was insufficient to meet the needs of patients."
St Joseph's Intellectual Disability Service, Dublin
"Throughout the inspection it was evident that numerous types of restraint are in use in the hospital. These include strait-jackets, physically restraining chairs, cot sides, manual restraint and the use of psychotropic medication.
"Currently there is a protocol on the use of restraint in the hospital. This protocol needs to be reviewed and a comprehensive policy on the use of restraint must be developed and implemented. The inspectorate find the use of strait-jackets unacceptable."
"... the lack of multi-disciplinary teams in St Joseph's is of serious concern. Currently care is provided by medical and nursing staff alone."
St Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe
(intellectual disability and long-stay unit)
"There is little evidence of a formal nursing model being used. There are two observation levels: one-to-one nursing and general nursing. There appears to be a strong emphasis on containment and security rather than rehabilitation. The long-stay wards in this hospital were in a poor state of repair and decor. They were dark and dingy and allowed limited safety, privacy and dignity for the patient group. The conditions in the long-stay wards were unacceptable for the provision of a modern mental health service."
St Anthony's Unit, Orchard Grove, Ennis
"The hygiene of the unit was poor. In the high-walled garden to the rear of the unit, the only outside space to which most of the residents had access, there was evidence of human faeces and urine. There was no evidence of a training programme for residents regarding toileting. There was very little privacy for residents. The area to the side of the unit was unkempt and unusable with weeds and rubble visible.
"The unit consisted of three small bungalows knocked into one unit. The internal decor was drab. The absence of wall hangings such as pictures and posters was noticeable. There was very little privacy for residents."