Hospitals and psychiatric institutions There were no outside blinds anywhere. Sheets hung over the windows in the slanted roof in a makeshift manner. As there was no way of cooling and no shade on the balcony or in the garden, it was very difficult for the staff to make conditions bearable for the patients. Commission 4 ascertained in interviews that the staff was certainly aware of the possible negative effects that the heat could have for the psychiatric patients. However, they emphasised that the infrastructural conditions make it impossible to take preventive measures. The above-mentioned guideline from the municipal department MA 15 was unknown to the staff or they were not sufficiently familiar with it. The NPM criticised this situation and recommended taking suitable measures quickly. In a statement of opinion from the Vienna Hospital Association, it was pointed out that in response to the visit by the commission; sun protection film had been fitted to a total of 33 windows on the ground floor and on the third floor of Psychiatric Department of Hietzing Hospital as an initial emergency measure. In addition, the installation of indoor air cooling was promised for the end of April 2020. Emergency measures taken Heat protection measures were announced and partly implemented in the psychiatric and/or gerontopsychiatric departments of other hospitals of the Vienna Hospital Association. Newer or refurbished buildings already have mechanical ventilation systems (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of Vienna General Hospital, Vienna North Hospital – Clinic Floridsdorf). The existing sun protection will be adapted at those locations that do not have such systems, until the already planned new buildings (Social Medicine Centre South – Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital) will be taking into operation. XX  The staff of all institutions and facilities shall be made familiar with the guideline on “Heat protection measures for medical and care institutions to create customised heat protection plans” from the municipal department MA 15. XX  Rapid implementation of the recommended measures in the guideline shall be ensured. XX  If necessary, additional technical measures (installation of ventilation systems etc.) shall be implemented quickly. 2.2.7 Lack of after-care facilities The NPM already indicated in its Annual Report 2017 (see p. 59 et seq.) that long-term stays in psychiatric hospitals are mainly attributable to the fact that there are not enough non-hospitalised places for certain groups of persons. This assessment is confirmed in the final report of a study by the Institute for Sociology of Law and Criminology “On accommodation 56