Patient waited eight weeks to see psychologist at Cork hospital

A resident of the mental health units in St Stephen's Hospital in Glanmire was left waiting eight weeks to see a psychologist last year, a Mental Health Commission report has found.

Overall, the centre was found to be 60% compliant in 2024, down from 67% in 2023, 71% in 2022, and 74% in both 2021 and 2020.

Residents queried all said they felt safe in the centre, and staff were described as “considerate and helpful”, while the centre itself was described as being “very clean” with new furniture and fittings.

However, a referral to psychology for one resident had not been completed despite the need for the referral having been identified, which led to an eight-week delay in accessing the service.

Delays were also noted for several people admitted to the centre while waiting for a place in a centre in their catchment area – no care planning or medication reviews took place, and the inspector noted: “Residents had no idea when they will be moved, and this causes more anxiety.” There was no access to a dietitian - management had “extensively attempted” to source private dietetics, but at the time of inspection there was still no dietitian available.

There were also staff training gaps in areas such as fire safety, basic life support and therapeutic management of violence and aggression.

Not all staff members involved in physical restraint had undertaken appropriate training, and in three episodes of restraint, there was no update to care plans as to the outcome and the person’s preferences for restrictive interventions going forward.

In general, issues were identified with individual care plans, with many incomplete, and one resident did not have a plan developed a week after their admission.

One resident had been hospitalised in an emergency situation, but there was no evidence that information such as a list of the resident’s medications had been sent to the hospital. 

Medication records in general were incomplete, missing information on allergies, prescribers, discontinuation dates or signatures.

There were also several issues with the premises itself, including ineffective fire doors, an exposed heating rail posing a burn risk and general disrepair, and it was noted that the building felt very clinical.

Feedback from residents showed that dormitory-style bedrooms were noisy and not private, with no locks on bedroom or bathroom doors.

The HSE told the MHC that since the inspection, a pathway is in place for access to a private dietician, a new working group to review care planning has been set up, fire doors and locks are in place, and the exposed rail had been covered.