Images of patients lying on the floor surrounded by screens have emerged from the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Waterford where severe overcrowding is causing “intolerable distress”, according to the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA).
PNA industrial relations officer Michael Hayes said there were 54 patients in the 44-bed unit earlier this week. Another seven patients were sent to the private St Patrick’s mental health services in Dublin and three more to Kilkenny.
“We’ve addressed this at local level and at the highest level,” said Mr Farrelly. “We have told them we want them to look at governance and management in the area.”
Mr Farrelly said the matter may reach a point where the commission has to apply a condition to the centre’s registration limiting the amount of people that can be admitted to the unit.
“If people can’t comply with the regulations, they put their registration at risk,” he said.
The PNA said it has been highlighting the situation in Waterford for two years, while the situation had improved in Kilkenny in the intervening period, said Mr Hayes.
“But Waterford has nothing,” he added. “When we amalgamated with the Wexford service in 2010, we bled staff. All acute beds were moved to Waterford and the resources were never put in place to maintain the service. I think now that we are at a very dangerous point.”
Mr Hayes said there are 50 vacancies in mental health services in the region and they are “not in a position to build up a community service”.
John Hearne, a Sinn Féin councillor in Waterford, said there is “no dignity” for patients in such a chaotically crowded environment.
Mr Farrelly said the Mental Health Commission has formally told the HSE it cannot accept the way the mental health service is operating in Waterford and, where regulations are not complied with, the commission will use “the full rigours of the law”.
In a statement, the HSE, whose response did not address the issue of patients lying on the floor, said that, in some cases, patients need to wait overnight for a bed in the unit. Efforts are made to “make patients as comfortable as possible”.
“In these cases, patients may be offered chairs and blankets,” said the HSE. “Trolleys are not permitted to be used in the psychiatric unit.”
Over the last week, the unit had to deal with “an unusually high number of involuntary referrals”, said the HSE.
By Catherine Shanahan - Health Correspondent - Irish Examiner
