The MHC has published four inspection reports for approved inpatient mental health centres across Cork, Galway, Mayo and Wexford.
In Galway city, the Adult Acute Mental Health Unit at University Hospital Galway (UHG) was found 83pc compliant with the rules, regulations and codes of practice following an unannounced four-day-long inspection in March 2025.
At the unit, the inspection team found six areas of non-compliance, reflecting an increase from three areas in 2024.
Among them, regulations relating to privacy, premises, risk management procedures and the rules governing the use of seclusion were all risk rated as ‘critical’, the highest level of risk.
In particular, the MHC inspection team found there was a there was a reoccurring non-compliance concerning the lack of locking mechanism on the single bedroom and en-suite bathroom doors.
Resident feedback was obtained via service user questionnaire. One resident reported sometimes feeling unsafe specifically in relation to the lack of a locking mechanism on the door while another resident raised concerns about privacy when showering.
While the approved centre was clean on the inside, it was not clean everywhere on the outside as inspectors found graffiti on the walls of the main garden area while the overall centre “was not developed and maintained with due regard to the safety and well-being of residents, staff and visitors”.
There were numerous issues identified with the functioning of fire doors and adequacy of some of the fire safety measures.
The fire doors were not inspected by a specialist every six months and there were eight sets of fire doors which did not close fully on release, which would impair proper door functioning in the event of a fire. Service management were aware of the issue concerning the fire doors and were proactively seeking solutions.
The report also shows the unit was non-compliant with regulations relating to individual care plans (moderate risk) and general health (low risk).
On the other hand, inspectors found there were many areas of good practice observed over the course of the inspection which included food safety, an emphasis on staff education and a high level of multi-disciplinary collaboration.
The approved centre environment was observed to be calm and relaxed, inspectors wrote. The Safewards Model was implemented throughout the approved centre for the purpose of reducing conflict and enhancing shared care.