Poor security in psychiatry

Safety in psychiatry in Gothenburg and Malmö has serious shortcomings. Among other dangerous items left in front, showing the magazine Faktums review.
160 serious incidents that show the lack of security in psychiatry has been found in the survey conducted by the magazine fact. In fact, writes that many more adverse events than has been reported, but the newspaper chose to focus on the more serious cases. The survey, which included both the psychiatric and forensic psychiatric care, was based on adverse events reported by staff and interviews with staff and patients.


Among other dangerous objects like knives been floated in departments where suicidal patients received treatment, patients are left unattended, and alarms were not working. Shower Hoses used for throttling repeatedly has not been removed in all departments, although staff noted that they are dangerous. On several occasions, the deficiencies resulted in patients taking damage and in the worst cases have taken their lives, according Faktums review.

Besides the danger to patient safety, it means deficiencies also a danger to the staff, who in interviews with The fact expresses concern for her safety.

In psychiatry in Malmö, among other things happened on several occasions that the alarm did not work. Gunnar Moostgård, acting head of the division of Psychiatry Skåne, consider the events that indicate inadequate procedures.

- We see this very seriously and we discovered in connection with these incidents to their routines have not been sufficiently secure. It is very important that it works as it should. We have taken quite extensive measures but we have a long way to go, he told Swedish Radio Echo.