Mental health centres use technology to retain services for inpatients during pandemic

Technology has ensured that several mental health centres have continued to deliver important therapy and services virtually to inpatients during COVID-19. Others have embraced sustainability and assisted residents to grow herbs, salads, fruits, and berries as part of their treatment and activities.

We released three inspection reports this morning related to facilities at several locations in Dublin. These include St Vincent’s Hospital in Fairview, where access to wi-fi had been provided in a main unit and the COVID-19 unit. Residents who did not own a smart phone could use one provided by the facility to speak to their friends, while family members used the video call function to see their loved ones.

At St Joseph’s in Donabate, the centre had set up virtual interactive video demonstrations for the residents. Multidisciplinary team members presented sessions on cognitive behavioural therapy, group talks, quizzes, games, and physical exercise sessions that targeted older people. Tablets were purchased for each area to provide opportunities for families to remain in contact with residents during the pandemic. The centre had introduced chickens and a chicken coop on the grounds following suggestions from the residents. Residents and staff helped care for them.

St. Vincent’s Hospital in Fairview is a public voluntary hospital with three separate units: St. Louise’s, a 30-bed admission ward that included a High Dependency unit containing six beds; St. Mary’s, a nine-bed ward for the continuing care of the elderly; and Psychiatry of Old Age (POA), a six-bed admission unit. There were 45 patients in the facility at the time of the visit. Compliance in 2020 was reported at 88%, compared to 80% in 2019. 

The centre was high risk non-compliant with Part 4 of the Mental Health Act 2001: Consent to Treatment, as the full names of the medications were not documented within the appropriate form as required. There were several minor issues with conditions in St Mary’s Ward, and sufficient access to outdoor space was not provided to the residents of this ward.

The centre’s policies had been updated to include the changes in practice arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a culture of incident reporting was evident. All heads of discipline had received some form of risk management training, however specific national incident management training had not been rolled out to all disciplines.

Ginesa Suite previously operated as a part of the St John of God Hospital approved centre and remains located within the main St John of God Hospital building in Stillorgan. It is registered as a 12-bed approved centre for child and adolescent mental health services in 2019. There were eight residents present when inspectors visited.

All residents were under the care of a single multidisciplinary team. A school facility was also available, while residents also had access to a gym, a pitch and putt course, a soccer pitch, a tennis court, table tennis facilities, and bicycles.

Compliance at the Ginesa Suite increased to 88% in 2020, up from 75% in 2019 and there were no conditions attached to the registration of the centre at the time of inspection. 

The centre received a high-risk non-compliance with the regulation on premises as ligature points were not minimised to the lowest practicable level. Occupational therapy needs identified in individual care plans for one resident were not met and there was no access to a social worker at the time of inspection as the post was vacant. Where a resident required a therapeutic service or programme that was not provided internally, the centre did not arrange for the service to be provided by an approved, qualified health professional in an appropriate location. 

The inspection highlighted a significant improvement from the previous year as the centre’s non-compliances had reduced from eight to four. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the centre implemented a well-developed and proactive response plan to help prevent the spread of the virus.

St. Joseph’s Intellectual Disability Service is located in St. Ita’s Campus in Portrane, Co. Dublin. The centre provided a service for adults who had an intellectual disability and a mental health diagnosis for the Dublin North, Dublin North Central and Dublin North-West Community Healthcare Organisation. The facility consists of 12 occupied houses and units and was registered for 91 beds. At the time of inspection, 73 beds were occupied.

Overall compliance improved significantly by 33% from a score of 61% in 2019 to 94% in its 2020 inspection. There was one condition attached to the registration of the centre relating to staffing. The centre was not in breach of this condition at the time of inspection and was compliant with the associated regulation.

However, in one resident’s medication prescription and administration record, there was multiple instances of a failure to record the administration of different medicines and there was no explanation for this omission documented. 

Residents were involved, where possible, in the development and reviews of their individual care plans and were assisted when necessary. There were regular community meetings where residents were provided with an opportunity to bring issues of concern to the attention of staff. 

A biodiversity garden project had commenced to develop and improve the centre’s garden space. Residents were assisted to grow herbs, salads, fruit, and berries. Feeding stations were set up to attract wildlife. This new initiatives’ main focus was in keeping with the centre’s philosophy of ‘small steps towards sustainability’ and ‘gardening for good mental health’ philosophy.

You can read our full statement here.

St Vincent's Hospital Inspection Report 2020

Ginesa Suite Inspection Report 2020

St Joseph's Intellectual Disability Service Inspection Report 2020