Inspection reveals non-compliance issues at Mayo mental health unit
The facility is located in the grounds of the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar.
An inspection carried out by the Mental Health Commission found a number of areas of non-compliance in a unit at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar.
St Anne’s Unit is a 12-bed single storey building and located on the wider campus of the Sacred Heart Hospital. There were five residents in the unit at the time of inspection.
The unit had a 73% compliance rate but a number of areas of concern were highlighted.
The fire doors did not close correctly, and the front door was locked at times throughout the inspection. A magnetic lock and lock and key mechanism was in place for the front door, which was a main fire exit. There was an insufficient number of fire extinguishers, and this was rectified at the time of the inspection.
Hazards were not minimised, running hot water was extremely hot in all bathroom areas and this was not documented on the approved centre’s maintenance log.
Resident records were found not to be kept in a manner to ensure completeness, accuracy, and ease of retrieval. In one clinical file, in one admission document belonging to one resident, two resident names and two identity stickers were highlighted – which meant it was unclear which of the two residents the admission document belonged too.
A high standard of hygiene was not maintained in regards to the storing and disposing of food. Cooked food was stored in the oven on top of an unclean cooking utensil.
Not all staff disciplines were trained in fire safety, basic life support, management of violence and aggression.
The number and skill mix of staffing were not sufficient to meet resident needs. There was insufficient staff working at night which did not match the agreed night nurse staffing levels.
The approved centre was not kept in a good state of repair inside due to bleach stains on two doors, plaster damage in a bedroom and bathroom, cracked paint and heat damage to a wall in the kitchen.
The Mental Health Commission (MHC) published five inspection reports on approved inpatient mental health centres (including St Anne’s) that show serious non-compliances with regard to regulations on premises and staffing, and issues with regard to access to physical healthcare.
The reports released also focused on the Acute Mental Health Unit at Cork University Hospital (CUH), Cork City ); St Catherine's Ward at St Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork City; Haywood Lodge, Haywood Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary; and St Bridget’s Ward and St Marie Goretti’s Ward at the Cluain Lir Care Centre, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
The Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly, said he was disappointed to note the poor results around premises, which continues to be an issue of concern. “Not one of these five centres was compliant with the regulation on premises, with some areas nowhere close to the standard that we would deem acceptable,” he said.
