Mental Health Commission finds serious issues at Sligo facility

The mental-health watchdog has found serious issues with a facility in Sligo.
It wasn’t in good condition, inside or out.
The Mental Health Commission carried out its annual inspection of the Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Inpatient Unit in Sligo town.
The 32-bed premises was deemed ‘noncompliant’, with a ‘high-risk’ rating.
The watchdog claimed it wasn’t in a good state of repair, externally or internally.
The old building was described as ‘not maintained in good structural or decorative condition’.
The six-bed male dormitory was cramped, while there was issues with cleanliness and a smell of cigarette smoke throughout.
The watchdog also found issues with privacy, saying the layout wasn’t conducive to maintaining patients’ dignity.
But the commission noted the facility had improved on previous inspections and a new acute unit was in the process of being developed.