Children’s psychiatric care needs improvement

The Parliamentary Commissioner has completed an inspection of the psychiatric hospital, and the conclusion is not positive.

Sólja í Ólavsstovu, Parliamentary Commissiner, recently requested a report on conditions for children in psychiatric care.

According to the report, no bedrooms are specified for children, which means that children must share rooms and toilets with adult patients.

The psychiatric hospital has a guiding principle which states that children should be given a room to themselves and have a round-the-clock guard.

The management of the psychiatric hospital says that due to financial constraints it is difficult to adhere to this principle. And as the number of children admitted to psychiatric care is increasing, funding is taken from existing appropriations in other areas.

“Up to now, we have been able to stick to our principle, but it may not be possible in the long term. If more children are admitted, this will no longer be possible,” the report states.

The Parliamentary Commissioner highlights a number of other shortcomings, including prolonged hospital stays for children due to a lack of alternative options.

She calls for immediate improvements as we have a duty to do so, according to the UN’s Convention of the Rights of the Child, which the Faroese Parliament adopted in 1992.

Translated by prosa.fo