The Community Healthcare Organisation which includes Kerry, reported the lowest rate of compliance with national standards across each of its services last year.
According to a new report published by the Mental Health Commission, privately-operated mental health centres in Kerry offered a better level of care than public facilities last year.
The compliance rate in the private sector is 95.2% while the compliance rate in Community Healthcare Organisation number 4, which includes Kerry, had the lowest rate of compliance across its services at 82%.
Regulations with low compliance rates included risk management procedures, individual care plans and staffing.
However, the CHO area which includes Kerry only had a 10% compliance rate when it came to individual care plans, the lowest in the country.
Two services in Kerry are named in the report – UHK’s Sliabh Mis which has an overall compliance rate of 81% and Deer Lodge in Killarney with a rate of 84%.
Regulations such as food and nutrition, recreation, care of the dying and children’s education were fully complied with in Kerry.
There were two serious reportable events which occurred in the CHO last year.
However, no centre in Kerry made proposals to seek the transfer of patients to the Central Mental Hospital.
Two children were admitted to the adult unit in University Hospital Kerry last year with the report noting that children and young people are often left with the unacceptable choice between an emergency department, general hospital, children’s hospital or an adult inpatient unit.
There were 398 involuntary admissions to CHO 4, which includes Kerry, last year, the highest after Dublin North Inner City.
