A report containing observations, findings and recommendations in connection with the National Preventive Mechanism’s (NPM) visit to the University Hospital of North Norway in April this year has now been published.
The report shows, among other things, shortcomings in the procedures for registering patient injuries, the absence of administrative decisions in several cases regarding use of coercive measures, and some major differences in the use of coercive measures between the units in the ward. It was consistently found that clear written routines were lacking for important procedures and that there were big differences between the sections in terms of practices and procedures. Among other things, there were no common procedures in the emergency wards for the training of new employees and for carrying out follow-up interviews after the use of coercive measures. The report also points out that an unfortunate institutional culture appears to have emerged in parts of the organisation.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman following a visit to psychiatric wards at UNN: ‘Has informed the management of serious findings’.
‘At the time of the NPM’s visit, it did not appear that either the clinic’s or the hospital’s management had addressed these circumstances to a satisfactory degree. It is important that the hospital pays special attention to a particularly vulnerable group of patients,’ says Aage Thor Falkanger.
The NPM visited the psychiatric health units at the University Hospital of Northern Norway from 26 to 28 April 2016. The hospital was informed that the visit would take place sometime in the course of the following eight weeks, but the date was not given. The visit included three emergency units, one substance abuse and psychosis unit and one secure psychiatric inpatient unit, with a total of 52 beds. Interviews were carried out with a number of patients and a large number of staff over several shifts at the units. A meeting was also held with the supervisory commission for the hospital.
The hospital’s management was notified of the findings and the recommendations contained in the report at a separate meeting.
About the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM)
The NPM investigates whether people who have been deprived of their liberty are subjected to degrading or inhuman treatment. Its visits to prisons, police custody facilities, mental health care institutions and other institutions where people are deprived of their liberty may be announced or unannounced. The reports from the visits are public and contain findings and recommendations. The prevention mandate was assigned to the Parliamentary Ombudsman by the Storting in 2013 and is a result of Norway’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) Since its establishment in 2014, the NPM has visited 22 institutions, including four mental health care institutions.