The Mental Health Commission has identified a “very concerning” breach of regulations around privacy at University Hospital Galway’s Adult Acute Mental Health Unit.

In its annual inspection report of the unit for 2023, the commission found that overall compliance with regulations at the facility had increased on last year to 94%.

However, two areas for concern were identified, the most serious of which centred on the use of CCTV within in the facility.

The inspection, which was carried out in July of last year, found that a private security firm engaged by the facility could watch residents’ activity, contrary to regulations which state that it should be available solely to the health professional with responsibility for the resident.

“Two monitors, that displayed multiple images of both internal corridors and external areas, were observed in the security office adjacent to the entrance foyer. This office was staffed by an external security company who had access to view all images displayed on the monitors. Some of these images on the monitor displayed residents within the wards.”

This was identified as a “high risk” non-compliance, the second most serious designation available to inspectors.

The second area of non-compliance was in the area of staffing, which was singled out as being of “moderate risk” to residents.
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