4.3 Visits to psychiatric hospitals In 2017, the NPM visited two psychiatric hospitals, i.e. Maribor University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry (Department), and the Unit for Forensic Psychiatry within this department (Unit). We are still waiting for the appropriate response to our preliminary report. Both visits were review visits during which the NPM checked whether the recommendations which were provided during previous (regular) visits had been observed. During its visit to the Unit, the NPM specifically checked the observance of recommendations which were provided by the CPT during its visit to Slovenia in 2017, and in this context also of the Unit. During these visits, the NPM made 20 new recommendations and repeated the (not implemented) recommendations which had been made during its previous visit6. The response to our preliminary reports allows us to establish that the majority of these recommendations have been accepted (12), and a large proportion (almost one third) have already been implemented (6). As we are still waiting for the response of the Unit for Forensic Psychiatry to the preliminary report, it is unclear whether two (new) recommendations have been accepted or perhaps even implemented. Total number of all (new or repeated) recommendations Accepted Rejected Implemented No data No response yet 20 12 0 6 0 2 We visited the Psychiatric Department of Maribor University Hospital (Department) on 21 March 2017. It was established that of the 12 controlled recommendations from the previous visit (5 February 2014), the Department had implemented four recommendations and accepted eight, but had not yet implemented them by the time of the review visit. This was specifically emphasised at this year’s visit, as the recommendations included examples where, despite the acceptance of a recommendation, no serious progress was evident with regard to its implementation. We therefore recommended that the Department try and implement these recommendations as soon as possible, especially since some of them do not require any additional financial resources, but only the willingness of the Department and its staff to implement them. During the visit, we made 18 recommendations, some of which were repeated, i.e. recommendations still not implemented since the previous visit, and some were new ones. During this visit, in addition to the recommendations which are explicitly emphasised below, we pointed out the need to appropriately decorate hospital rooms and common areas; to install patient-friendly window protection; to install and appropriately mark the complaints and compliments box and to provide aids for writing a complaint; to expand the number of programmes that can be watched on the television; to prolong television time in the evening on occasion; and to prolong the time when female patients can take a bath (if a limitation is even necessary). It was further recommended that a clearly visible current date be put on the notice boards of individual units of the department. The general impression after the visit to the department was positive and we find the living situation to be good, which was also confirmed by patients during our talks. We are of course aware that the situation changes in the event of overcrowding, when the living conditions deteriorate and the staff’s workload increases. Maribor University Hospital, Psychiatric Department Ordinary bed with Segufix restraints 6  Individual recommendations which were made during the visits to the psychiatric hospitals in 2017 are provided below as an example. The others are or will be available on the Ombudsman’s website after receiving the response of the visited institutions or the competent ministries: http://www.varuh-rs.si/o-instituciji/podrocja-dela-varuha/varuh-kot-drzavni-preventivni-mehanizem/. 62 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT