Compliance rate at Roscommon psychiatric unit falls by 20% in five years
The pyschiatric unit is located at the rear of Roscommon Hospital.
The compliance rate at Roscommon psychiatric unit is now at its lowest in five years, according to the latest inspection report carried out at the facility by the Mental Health Commission (MHC).
The report found that the current compliance rate at the unit stands at 73% compared to last year’s figure of 75%.
The rates for 2022, 2021 and 2020 were 88%, 88% and 94% respectively, representing more than a 20% drop in compliance over the last five years.
The inspection team found that the unit, located on the ground floor at the rear of Roscommon Hospital, was non-compliant with minimum standards in nine areas of the regulations, rules and consent to treatment.
Particular areas of concern included rules governing the use of seclusion, which the report described as “critical”. Other areas of concern included privacy, staffing and consent to treatment.
The MHC report found that there was evidence of a lot of work being done in the centre to adhere to the minimum standard, and improvements were noted in some areas of concern from last year’s inspection.
These included safeguarding, medical records management, medication management and restrictive practices oversight and management.
However, the report also observed that the facility was not adequately staffed, and the numbers and skill mix of the staffing were not sufficient to meet the "residents’ assessed needs".
“Heads of discipline reported staffing shortages. This included medical, nursing, occupational therapy and psychology which directly impacted on the provision of care and the therapeutic services and programmes received at the approved centre.
“The recent HSE recruitment embargo was impacting on the recruitment for vacant posts at the centre. Processes where underway to try to address these vacancies,” the report outlined. Nursing vacancies were being managed using overtime and agency staffing.
The MHC report describes the unit as a long linear facility, which is “not purpose-built as an approved centre having formerly been a maternity ward”.
In the summer, a HSE spokesperson informed the Roscommon Herald that a business case to develop a new 35 bedded psychiatric unit was now complete, but was "unable to give a timeline" on when the facility would actually be developed.
