Galway Bay fm newsroom - The CAMHS unit in Merlin Park Hospital has been cited for 3 high risk breaches in a new inspection report.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service at the city hospital is responsible for providing care and treatment to young people from the age of 12 to 18.
The inspection report was published today by the Mental Health Commission.
The CAMHS service in Merlin Park is split into two units, the 14 bed Willows unit and the 6 bed Woodsend unit, and had 10 residents on site on the day of the inspection.
The report found the unit's seclusion room was located outside of the service, requiring patients to go outside of the building to access, compromising their privacy.
Patients in seclusion did not have access to adequate toilet facilities and the rooms themselves were not adequately furnished, maintained and cleaned.
The design of the room was also highlighted as problematic for resident safety as they featured hard floor fittings.
Hygiene issues were also mentioned in the report elsewhere, with the breakfast room in the Woodsend unit observed to have a strong odour and the main kitchen cited for cleanliness issues.
The third area highlighted in the Mental Health Commission report was in the area of food safety.
Catering areas and associated catering and food safety equipment were found not to be properly cleaned, while floors were stained and walls were splashed with food markings.
A lack of dry storage facilities was also noted, with dry food stored on open countertops.
While 3 high risk areas were cited in the new report, it also rated 14 other areas of the unit as excellent, with a compliance rate of 85%.
The registration for the CAMHS unit in Merlin Park will expire in December, and can only be reregistered if the Mental Health Commission is satisfied with the centre's compliance in the coming months following this report.
