Mental health centres in Cork found lacking
Two mental health centres in Cork have scored poorly in newly published inspection reports, with multiple high-risk non-compliances recorded in each.
The inspections were carried out by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) on 14 inpatient mental health centres across Ireland.
A report on the Acute Mental Health Unit at CUH, Cork city, outlined four high-risk non-compliances with the regulations on: privacy; premises; ordering, prescribing, storing and administration of medicines; and risk management procedures.
The unit at CUH received an overall compliance score of 76%. Meanwhile, seven high-risk non-compliances with regulations were discovered at the Centre for Mental Health Care and Recovery at Bantry General Hospital.
The non-compliances were with regulations on individual care plan; privacy; premises; ordering, prescribing, storing and administration of medicines; staffing; codes of practice on the use of physical restraint; and admission, transfer and discharge.
The West Cork facility received a compliance rating of 75%. A third Cork mental health facility, the Carraig Mór Centre in Sunday’s Well, Cork city, received a more favourable compliance rating of 88%, recording just one high-risk non-compliance with the code of practice on admission and transfer of residents.
Of the 14 centres inspected, just two centres were between 90-100% compliant; six centres were between 80-90% compliant; a further five centres were between 70-80% compliant; while one centre was between 60-70% compliant.
The MHC requires corrective and preventive actions plans (CAPAs) from all services where non-compliances are identified, each of which must address each non-compliance specifically.
Once in place, the MHC will monitor the implementation of these CAPAs on an ongoing basis.
Enforcement action is taken when the MHC is concerned that the care and treatment provided in a 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.
Enforcement actions commonly arise from inspection findings and range from the CAPAs at the lower end of enforcement, to removing a centre from the register and/or pursuing prosecution at the higher end.
The MHC is an independent statutory body. The primary functions of the MHC are to foster and promote high standards of care and good practice in the delivery of mental health services and to ensure that the interests of those involuntarily admitted are protected, pursuant to the Mental Health Act 2001.
The MHC also has the statutory responsibility for the Decision Support Service (DSS) under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.