Sir, - I was dismayed by the picture of psychiatric hospitals painted by Dr Mark Harrold (November 17th). His views were prejudiced and ill-informed. The Broadcasting Complaints Commission upheld the Eastern Health Board's objection because that was the correct thing to, a fact that Dr Harrold has difficulty in accepting. The mentally handicapped do not reside in the psychiatric services of St Ita's Hospital but in the Mental Handicap Services of St Joseph's, a completely separate service to the psychiatric service, a service dedicated to the care of the mentally handicapped with its own staff and structures.
Dr Harrold states that there are "strenuous efforts to hide reality from the public". The reality is quite the opposite as the Parents and Friends Associations of St Joseph's visit on a regular basis and submit their own reports and recommendations to the Department of Health and the Eastern Health Board. Recently the Minister for Health approved an additional allocation of £13 million for future developments at St Joseph's.
The nursing staff in St Joseph's have delivered a quality service based on individual care planning and a multi-disciplinary approach to care delivery. There is a adherence to the patients' charter outlining individual patients rights and all patients are assessed on their individual needs and offered a range of day activities and programmes. Staff in the St Joseph's Service can be proud of the quality professional service they deliver every day of the year.
I trust that Dr Harrold will inform himself of the realities of the present services before he unnecessarily causes distress to patients, relatives and staff by ill-formed comment. - Yours, etc.,
Tom Clare,
National chairperson,
PNA Nurse Manager Branch,
Gardiner Place,
Dublin 1.