1.6 Visit to the Idrija psychiatric hospital 1.6 Visit to the Idrija psychiatric hospital Idrija psychiatric hospital (hereinafter: hospital) was visited on 18 September 2013. The medical expert of the NPM, Peter Pregelj, psychiatrist, MD, also participated during the control part of the visit, which referred to the health care and medical assistance. The main purpose of the visit was to inspect the treatment of persons, accommodated in the secure ward in order to correct eventual deficiencies, established during the visit. The previous report on the visit was sent to the hospital on 18 October 2013. On 20 November 2013 the response report was received from the hospital and after the request for additional explanation, which was sent to the hospital on 17 December 2013. The second response was received on 3 January 2014. Both responses were included in the final report. Due to additional verification of findings, recorded in the previous NPM report, the representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office visited the hospital again on 23 January 2014. During the visit, the documentation regarding the use of special protection measures in individual cases was inspected and the findings were included in the final report. General information about the hospital The hospital receives patients from Northern and Southern Primorska region, Idrija-Cerklje region and central region. It is located above Idrija in a calm and green environment. The hospital operates in a former Italian military barracks. The majority of rooms are renovated, the rooms for non-hospital activities and the laboratory were recently renovated, while some renovations are still ongoing. During the visit the auxiliary building, where rooms for service offices and their activities are to be arranged, was being renovated. In one section of the newly arranged building, some rooms will be obtained, where patients and their relatives will be able to stay during visits, which is welcomed. The building of an ecological island is also planned. In 2012 the hospital was the first psychiatric institution to accede to the accreditation assessment of the quality and safety of health care according to international standards NIAHO and DIAS, respectively. The accreditation assessment was carried out by the international hospital accreditation provider DNV Healthcare Inc., established in Norway. On the basis of an accreditation assessment, the hospital received the internationally recognised certificate on compliance with the international standard. In the summer of 2013 the second round of the accreditation assessment was undertaken and was successfully completed in the fall of 2013. In 2013, the hospital was actively involved in the establishment of the quality management system according to the standard ISO 9001, an action plan for the system establishment was adopted and an action group was formed, which will be responsible for the preparation of appropriate technical bases and materials. Upon the last visit it was noticed that the main entry of the hospital, which leads the visitors past the park to different sections of the hospital, was missing maps or explanatory tables of the locations of the individual parts of the hospital. During the control visit a clear table was noticed right behind the entrance, which is certainly a great asset which facilitates spatial orientation of the users of its services, their relatives and other visitors to the hospital. The hospital’s response and the placement of an appropriate explanatory table is absolutely welcomed. The hospital receives approximately 1,600 patients per year; in 2012 the hospital received 1,648 and discharged 1,626 patients. The hospital’s capacity is 210 beds. The average length of stay was 36 days and the average occupancy rate was 85% or 178 patients per day. On the day of the NPM’s visit, 174 beds were occupied. The hospital has six departments, as follows: Women’s general psychiatric department S2, Men’s general psychiatric department S3, Department of gerontopsychiatry L2, Department of general psychiatry and Department for extended treatment L3, Department of Psychotherapy S4 and the Department for the treatment of alcohol addiction L1. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2013 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT 117