Cork centres rated highly by Mental Health Commission but one gets its lowest mark in country

A CORK centre for mental health services received the lowest score in the country for compliance with Mental Health Commission standards.

The commission yesterday published its 2023 annual report, which sets out its work to promote, encourage, and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services.

The report details the individual compliance rate of all mental health centres in the country, with five centres scoring 100%.

In Cork, the Carraig Mor Centre in Shanakiel scored a high 96.67% compliance rate.

The Centre for Mental Health Care & Recovery in Bantry General Hospital, the Owenacurra Centre, and Cois Dalua, an independent centre near Newmarket, received compliance rates of 90.00%, 89.29% and 86.67% respectively.

Eist Linn Child & Adolescent Inpatient Unit scored 80%, while St Catherine’s Ward in St Finbarr’s Hospital scored just below it with 78.57% compliance.

However, out of 65 centres nationally, three Cork services featured in the bottom 10, with the Acute Mental Health Unit in Cork University Hospital scoring 60% — the lowest score in the country.

This marks a significant decrease in compliance in the centre, which received scores of 94% in 2021 and 79% in 2022.

St Michael’s Unit in Mercy University Hospital was 73.33% compliant, while the mental health units in St Stephen’s Hospital were marked 70% compliant.

Mental Health Commission CEO John Farrelly said a number of acute inpatient centre providers, particularly the HSE, are struggling to meet minimum regulatory standards in key areas of staffing, care planning, risk management, and premises.

“The inspector has said that lower standards of compliance in these areas are associated with negative experiences for patients and staff alike and are not compatible with a human rights-based approach,” he said.

The HSE acknowledged in a statement that there are areas needing further improvement, and said a detailed action plan is being developed in response to the Mental Health Commission’s findings.