<p>
	MHC&rsquo;s inspection finds cell-like bedrooms, antiquated bathrooms, and inadequate signal for CCTV</p>
<p>
	The Central Mental Hospital building in Dublin is &ldquo; outdated and unsuitable as a mental health facility for the 21st century,&rdquo; according to a report by the Mental Health Commission.</p>
<p>
	An announced inspection was carried out on the 19th, 20th and 21st of August 2014.</p>
<p>
	The HSE&rsquo;s planning application for a 170 bed National Forensic Mental Health Hospital to replace the CMH is under consideration by An Bord Plean&aacute;la, who are scheduled to make a decision in April 7th 2015.</p>
<p>
	The HSE plans to build the new facility on the grounds of St Ita&rsquo;s Hospital in Portrane, north County Dublin, near the village of Donabate.</p>
<p>
	The report said the Central Mental Hospital was constructed in the 19th century and was not well maintained over the years.</p>
<p>
	Report Findings</p>
<p>
	The building was totally unsuitable as a modern healthcare facility with small cell-like bedrooms, long corridors and antiquated bathrooms in some areas.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;Bedroom accommodation was extremely unsuitable and was predominantly in small cell-like rooms which had inadequate storage space. Some of the bathrooms were antiquated, one with an open drain,&rdquo; the report said.</p>
<p>
	Paint was peeling from the walls in many parts of the building and the nurses&rsquo; office in Unit 3 had large chunks of plaster missing from the walls.</p>
<p>
	Despite the efforts of the cleaning staff, much of the unit was grubby and dusty. The toilet and bathroom in Units B, 2 and 4 were malodorous with, in some cases, damaged or dirty tiles.</p>
<p>
	The washroom in Unit 4 had an open drain under the sinks and the floor was stained.</p>
<p>
	The kitchen in Unit 2 had cupboards that were in poor condition and the outside of the bin was very dirty.</p>
<p>
	In Unit 1, the women&rsquo;s unit, storage rooms were untidy with resident&rsquo;s clothes strewn across floors in heaps.</p>
<p>
	The bedrooms were tiny and cell-like. In one room, the resident would have to climb over her bed to access her wardrobe.</p>
<p>
	The corridor, where the storage rooms and seclusion rooms were located, was narrow, prison-like and could be frightening for any resident brought to the seclusion rooms.</p>
<p>
	Inspectors noted staff &ldquo;had managed to make the dayroom a cheery place and the garden area was very nice.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	Several of the residents and staff members complained of the heating in the building.</p>
<p>
	Due to its age, it was reported that the heating could not be regulated and was either &lsquo;on&rsquo; or &lsquo;off&rsquo;.</p>
<p>
	It was notably over-heated on the days of inspection and the radiators were too hot to touch and staff were unable to turn a radiator down or off.</p>
<p>
	The report said the physical environment at the CMH was not at all in keeping with a modern healthcare facility.</p>
<p>
	No dentist for residents</p>
<p>
	All residents, whose clinical files were inspected, showed evidence that a physical examination had been carried out within the previous six months.</p>
<p>
	The report found there was no longer a dentist attached to the CMH.</p>
<p>
	Unless a resident had a medical card, they had to pay for any dental care they received. In cases of hardship, it was reported by the General Manager that the hospital paid for the treatment.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;It is hard to imagine how long term residents would have the funds to pay for regular and emergency dental care,&rdquo; inspectors said.</p>
<p>
	&ldquo;The situation where patients without a medical card, in a designated centre under the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006, have to pay for their own dental care is most unsatisfactory,&rdquo; they added.</p>
<p>
	CCTV</p>
<p>
	The report said the service had recently installed CCTV cameras in the seclusion rooms and two bedrooms in Unit 1 and Unit B.</p>
<p>
	The monitors for these cameras were mounted in the corridors outside these rooms did not provide adequate privacy for residents in the seclusion rooms or bedrooms.</p>
<p>
	In addition, there was no signage in or outside the bedrooms to indicate that CCTV cameras were in operation.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/central-mental-health-hospital-unsuitable-as-mental-health-facility-report-1.2121953">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/central-mental-health-hospital-unsuitable-as-mental-health-facility-report-1.2121953</a></p>
