Implementation of the Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2012 Special protection measures In both hospitals erroneous filling in of forms intended for the introduction and implementation of special protection measures were observed. When reviewing completed forms regarding the restraint of individual patients in Ljubljana University Psychiatric Hospital, it was discovered that, in one case, the termination of the use of restraints was not stated, while in another, only the hour and not the date of termination was mentioned. That is why careful filling in of forms intended for cases when special protection measures are used be proposed. In cases of patients’ restraint lasting for more than four hours, it was proposed by the NPM that for each prolongation it should be stated whether a patient was released and how long the removal of special protection measures lasted. It is particularly important that the date and exact hour of the termination of any measure be stated. Only in this manner may it be verified if all restrictions stipulated by the ZDZdr were taken into account in the implementation of special protection measures. Vojnik Psychiatric Hospital also explained that they had had regular practical training sessions as far as the implementation of special protection measures were concerned. Permanent training which enables the proper application of a restraining measure is obviously necessary and therefore encouraged by the NPM. It was also proposed that the NPM report together with its recommendation be included in the training programme. In Ljubljana University Psychiatric Hospital, at the female ward, there is one triple bedroom that is dedicated for the purposes of using special protection measures, whilst there are two triple bedrooms intended for this purpose on the male ward. A view of these rooms is made possible through glass windows. There are chairs placed in front of these rooms. There is glass installed between the rooms dedicated for the use of special protection measures on the male ward; the glass wall may be shaded by Venetian blinds. In the NPM’s opinion, special protection measures may only be implemented in premises dedicated for this particular use, and the option of other patients watching restrained patients should be prevented. A special room must therefore be dedicated for the restraining of patients where patients strapped to beds are separated from other patients. It was thus proposed that a patient who needs to be strapped to a bed owing to his/her (current) medical condition is accommodated in a special room. Ljubljana University Psychiatric Hospital might also reconsider rearranging rooms intended for the use of special protection measures into rooms for patients without the need to be fully strapped to a bed. The above mentioned hospital explained that medical staff are always present whenever a special protection measure is applied. It was also communicated that contemporary European recommendations had been followed more over the last period of time, recommending fewer occasions of restraint in bed and more movement-friendly restraints. The advantage was that complications were reduced while not isolating patients from the surrounding area (since sensory deprivation worsens their condition). They would try to use restraints as little as possible. Only those patients who need to be prevented from falling to the floor, particularly the older patients, would be restrained in their chair. In regard to the proposal to set Venetian blinds at the glass wall the reply was that they would be installed but their opinion was that this was not advisable since permanent supervision could thus not be provided. The NPM remarks that the opinion of the NPM obviously was not to limit the supervising view of nurses over patients being committed to special protection measures. Article 29 of the ZDZdr stipulates that a person for whom a special protection measure has been applied is supervised, his/her vital functions monitored and is under expert treatment throughout the time of application of a special protection measure. This is why the constant presence of the staff and monitoring of the application of the measure is urgently needed in order to ensure the appropriateness of its application and particularly the safety of the patient being treated by such measure. The constant presence of the staff also makes it possible that the measure actually lasts only for so long as it is urgently needed, and to terminate it when there is no National Preventive Mechanism in the Republic of Slovenia under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 61