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Teenager spent 14 days in adult psychiatric ward room 'barely bigger than the bed'

The case was brought to the attention of the Minister for Mental Health and the Taoiseach’s office.

A TEENAGER SPENT at least two weeks in an adult psychiatric ward in a room barely bigger than their bed, according to a letter sent to An Taoiseach’s office.

A HSE staff member said that the child had been sent to the adult psychiatric ward in the Department of Psychiatry of Waterford Regional Hospital for “fourteen nights and fourteen days”.

The staff member, consultant paediatric psychiatrist Kieran Moore, said that the patient’s room was “barely bigger than his/her bed” and that they have been “specialised 24-hours a day by a nurse who is sitting on a chair in the room or at the doorway”.

The letter, released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), continues:

The patient has no access to education. He/she has not been outside the hospital grounds for 14 days, there is no therapy occurring, no occupational therapy, no psychological intervention, no speech and language therapy, and no peer support or therapy.

Moore told TheJournal.ie that this wasn’t the first such case at the psychiatric ward.

“There’s no clinical governance structure in terms of what’s safe,” he said, suggesting that a look at the management structure – and the possible appointment of a ‘bed manager’ as one solution.

The psychiatrist’s letter was received by the Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe (who represents Wexford), and it was brought it to the attention of the Minister for Health and Older People Helen McEntee on the 17 January of this year.

Also on the letter’s mailing list was the Taoiseach’s office.

In her reply, also released in an FOI and dated 16 February, the Minister McEntee said that the admission of children to adult psychiatric wards does happen on occasion.

She said that Éist Linn, the child and adolescent unit in Cork City, accepts referrals for patients throughout Cork, Kerry and the South East.

“The HSE has indicated, that a bed became available in Éist Linn Monday 6 February and that the patient was transferred to that facility.”

The Psychiatric Nurses Association has said previously that there is only half the number of required staff at Waterford Regional Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry.

A lack of staff, and a shortage of beds have resulted in patients being placed on chairs and beds in corridors of the department due to a lack of capacity.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that a 16-year-old girl spent the night in a chair at the adult unit of Waterford Regional Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry as there were no beds available in either acute ward.

Although the department is only licensed to care for 44 patients, the unit is often over that number because of increased demand and referrals from the A&E unit at the main hospital.

The HSE has referred queries in relation to Waterford Regional Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry to the hospital. TheJournal.ie is awaiting a reply.

Read: 16-year-old patient spent the night on a chair at adult psychiatric unit

Read: Patients placed on chairs and beds in corridors of Waterford psychiatric unit

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19 Comments
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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:00 PM

    I’m counting at least three UFOs in the picture…
    They’re here… and not a moment too soon…

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:09 PM

    If you have identified them are they still technicaly ufos

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:34 PM

    I only spotted them, still don’t know what they are; ergo UFOs…

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:41 PM

    I can only see two ufos and a smudge
    I’m certain the smudge is swamp gas tho

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    Mute Jazz O'Gorman
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:09 PM

    Up above the streets and houses
    Rainbow flying high
    Everyone can see it smiling — over the sky.

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    Mute Ger
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:25 PM

    Thanks Jazz, now the rainbow theme tune is stuck in my head. Paint the whole world with a RAINBOW

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    Mute Jazz O'Gorman
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 6:54 PM

    Sorry Bungle.

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    Mute Jason Chan
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 3:58 PM

    Quick get the pot of gold

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    Mute Matt
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 7:56 PM

    Looks like it’s coming from Berties house.

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    Mute Shane Walsh
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 3:56 PM

    Some great views from the Ulster bank building all the same.

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    Mute Kevin shaw
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:04 PM

    Buildings

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    Mute Shane Walsh Pics
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:07 PM

    Go jump off one ;)

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    Mute Gerard Carey
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 7:02 PM

    Keaneland. Thats the custom house building. Not the 4 courts.

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    Mute Conor Farrell
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 4:02 PM

    Anyone know why some rainbows appear flattened? Is it to do with the shape of the raindrops?

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    Mute Keaneland
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 6:06 PM

    Nice symbolic image for litigious Ireland, there is always a croc of gold to be found in the courts.

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    Mute Matt
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 5:43 PM

    Rainbow coming from Berties house.

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    Mute Suzanne Bell
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    Oct 22nd 2013, 11:20 PM

    First I thought u were talking about the big UFO shaped cloud on the left but then saw the 3 shapes, is it just a blurry pic?

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    Mute Frank Biggar
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    May 28th 2015, 6:33 AM

    Yes, it really is magical. So magical that even though it was taken on May 23, 2015 (the day the result of Ireland’s Marriage Equality Referendum was announced), not only did it travel all round the world to places as far away as America, where it was seen as proof that Nature and/or ‘god’ approved of the result (see here at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/23/1387196/-Best-photo-on-the-Internets-today ), but it somehow also got magically teleported by Time Machine all the way back to The Journal in October 2013. Strange and mysterious indeed are the ways of The Great Joker in the Sky :)

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