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Psychiatric Bulletin (2007) 31: 192. doi: 10.1192/pb.31.5.192a
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Correspondence

How safe are interview rooms?

Natasha Rae, Specialist Registrar in Forensic Psychiatry

Wessex Forensic Rotation, Ravenswood House Medium Secure Unit, Knowle, Fareham PO17 2NP, email: natasha.rae{at}hantspt-sw.nhs.uk

Abigail Hewitt, Specialist Registrar in Adult Psychiatry

St Anne’s Hospital, Poole

Campbell & Fung (Psychiatric Bulletin, January 2007, 31, 10-13) highlighted some important deficiencies in safety of patient interview rooms. We conducted a similar audit of 119 interview rooms in southern Hampshire in 2004, which was a repeat of an earlier study by local trainees in 2000. We were therefore able to look at whether interview room safety had improved and whether newly commissioned facilities had been provided in accordance with the Department of Health’s advice regarding the safety of interview rooms (Department of Health, 2004).

Our results were largely similar to Campbell & Fung’s but in southern Hampshire 75% of in-patient rooms were not isolated (v. 23%), 75% had a functioning panic alarm system (v. 0) and 52% had doors that opened outwards (v. 6%). Of particular concern was that rooms used in accident and emergency departments to assess acutely disturbed and unknown patients were isolated, had no viewing window, no panic button and were cluttered.

It was reassuring to note that those rooms which had been commissioned in the past 3-4 years demonstrated a higher level of adherence to the standards: 92% had an unimpeded exit, 100% had a functioning alarm and 77% had an internal inspection window. However, 67% remained isolated and 61% were cluttered.

References

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (2004) Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide - Developing Positive Practice to Support the Safe and Therapeutic Management of Aggression and Violence in Mental Health In-Patient Settings. Department of Health.





This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
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Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
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Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rae, N.
Right arrow Articles by Hewitt, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Rae, N.
Right arrow Articles by Hewitt, A.

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