A large number of the country’s mental health units in Ireland are located in dilapidated buildings which are not fit for purpose, according to a new report from the Mental Health Commission (MHC).
Written by the MHC’s Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty, the ‘Physical Environments in Mental Health Inpatient Units’ report also stated that lack of suitability has meant most units were failing to comply with regulations.
In 2017, three-quarters of premises inspected were non-compliant with building regulations; this number fell to 67 per cent 12 months later but had risen to 69 per cent of centres in 2019.
While some of centres failed inspections because of a lack of cleanliness and poor decorative and maintenance standards, others failed because of building design flaws.
“Because many centres are not purpose built for therapeutic health care, we have facilities with poor lines of sight, long corridors, small sitting rooms, limited outdoor space, and multiple occupancy bedrooms,†said Dr Finnerty.
“One centre has a nine-bed dormitory. Others have bedrooms that are cramped, with little space between the beds, resulting in lack of privacy and dignity. Some units have only limited access to an outdoor area, with service users at one Cork unit dependent on staff to take them to a nearby green area as the centre has no outdoor space.â€
The report also stated that better designed buildings could help reduce aggressive behaviour in psychiatric facilities.
“A poorly designed facility that prevents privacy, is noisy, and has other stressful features, can intensify the stress of mental illness and involuntary confinement,†explained Dr Finnerty.
“This can, therefore, worsen levels of aggression.â€
“Single bedrooms with private bathrooms may be the single most important design intervention for facilitating privacy and reducing crowding stress and aggression in inpatient psychiatric wards,†she continued.
Commenting on the report, MHC chief executive John Farrelly said all service users had the right to be treated and cared for in a clean, safe environment.
“But we are finding that during a recent three-year period, approximately one third of Irish mental health units were dirty,†he added.
Inspectors also found that many buildings were not suitable for the facilitation of effective infection prevention and control which was required to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
It was also noted, however, that units which have opened within the last five years were meeting requirements and have single en suite bedrooms, with plenty of space internally and externally.
