Cork mental health centre residents must be consulted ahead of proposed move to other facilities
We issued a statement this morning that said we expect a mental health centre in Cork to ensure that all residents are individually consulted - and their individual will and preference respected - before any decision is made to move them to other facilities later this year.
The HSE informed our regulatory team that it intended to close the Owenacurra mental health centre in Midleton, County Cork, just prior to a focused inspection of the centre by our inspectors on June 25, 2021. Our inspection team decided to conduct a focused inspection in view of the unsatisfactory responses received from the HSE to enforcement actions we initiated following an annual inspection of the centre in February, in which the centre was found to have critical and high-risk ratings in several areas.
Some of the annual inspection findings included the presence of ligature anchor points throughout the building; small and cluttered bedrooms; wedged open fire doors; minimal therapeutic services and programmes for residents; the absence of an occupational therapist; inadequate social work input; and burn risks to residents from radiators. The centre was also requested by our regulatory team to carry out a fire safety assessment and this showed that there were serious fire safety concerns.
The purpose of the focused inspection - which was led by the Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Susan Finnerty - was to ascertain what works had been carried out to address the fire safety issues, ligature anchor points, and to assess whether there was an improvement in access to therapeutic services and programmes.
The inspection focused on two regulations that were deemed a critical risk in the annual inspection report – therapeutic services and programmes, and premises – and a third, risk management, that was given a high-risk rating.
The focused inspection found that the non-compliance with the regulation on premises was still judged to be a critical risk; the non-compliance with the regulation on risk management disimproved from a high risk to a critical risk rating; and the non-compliance with the regulation on therapeutic services and programmes improved slightly but was still considered a high risk.
Following communication to the HSE that we were considering further escalation unless appropriate corrective actions were put in place, the HSE stated that it intended to close the centre in October 2021.
“The decision to close the centre is a matter entirely for the HSE as the registered proprietor and we have outlined our concerns to the HSE regarding the proposed transfer of residents,” said our Chief Executive, John Farrelly. “In that respect, we have sought a detailed implementation plan setting out how residents will be individually consulted and how their individual will and preference regarding any move will be sought and respected.
“We have requested information on where the HSE propose to transfer residents, along with evidence that this is an appropriate placement for them,” added Mr Farrelly. “The centre has been instructed that no resident is to be relocated from the centre without first notifying the MHC.”
In addition, we have asked for an assurance from the centre about the way details of the closure and proposed resident transfers have been communicated. In particular, we require assurances that residents and their families will be kept apprised of developments at all times, and are not relying on external sources for information, which may increase anxiety around any proposed move.
You can read our full statement here
