Mayo mental health unit compliance rating falls following inspection
The facility is located in the grounds of the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar.
The compliance rating for St Anne’s mental health unit in Castlebar has dropped from 94 to 84 per cent following an unannounced inspection in May.
The report identified at Sacred Heart Hospital five areas of non-compliance, including the condition of the premises, individual care plans, clinical records, risk management and discharge procedures.
During the inspection by the Mental Health Commission, there was no provision for a dedicated cleaner’s room or laundry segregation.
Hand hygiene facilities were found to be inadequate.
Cleaning equipment, including cleaning trolleys containing cleaning solutions, floor mops, floor brushes and cloths, was stored in the sluice room.
Dirty linen was stored beside clean linen in a multipurpose storeroom.
These practices posed a cross contamination/infection risk.
Paper towels for hand drying were not available in three toilets for residents, staff and visitors.
Toilet roll holders and soap dispensers had not been installed within the approved centre’s bathrooms or communal areas.
The inspection found the lock to a bathroom in a shared room was located on the outside of the door, which may result in the resident being locked into the room.
The centre did not have a designated sluice room and cleaning room.
The inspection also revealed that not all resident records were reflective of the residents’ current status and the care and treatment being provided.
Three individual care plans were not reflective of the care and treatment documented within the clinical file.
Concerns were also raised about discharge procedures after inspectors found that a required discharge summary had not been completed within 14 days.
As there was no discharge summary completed, there was no documented discharge summary evidence of details relating to the resident’s diagnosis, prognosis, medication, mental state at discharge, outstanding health or social issues, follow-up arrangements, names and contact details of key people for follow-up, risk issues such as signs of relapse, and a timely follow-up appointment.
Despite the issues found in the centre, residents reported being happy during the inspection.
There was a well-equipped activities room, a large dining room, two large sitting rooms and a large amount of space for residents to move about in.
A clinical nurse specialist in physical health interventions attended the approved centre weekly and coordinated referrals to dietitians and reviewed the physical health needs of residents.
Where a resident required a therapeutic service or programme that was not provided internally, the approved centre arranged for the service to be provided by an approved, qualified health professional in an appropriate location.
