are not health care centres92. In accordance with findings of the National Preventive Mechanism, the right to medical services was respected. Both general practitioners and psychiatrists were employed by visited social care centres. Visits took place once to three times a week - both of a general practitioner and a psychiatrist, depending on a centre. Consultations by medical practitioners of other specialities took place outside the facility, under the National Health Fund. Residents could also take part in therapeutic activities. c) Treatment of residents and coercive measures Act on social assistance of 12 March 2004 (Dz.U. No 64, item 593, as amended) Article 55(2) The organisation of a social care centre and the scope and level of services provided by the centre take into account, in particular, freedom, intimacy, dignity and feeling of security of the residents of the centre, as well as their physical and mental fitness. Act of 19 August 1994 on the protection of mental health (Dz.U. No. 111, item 535, as amended) Article 18(1) A coercive measure towards persons with mental disorders, at performing activities provided for by this Act, shall only be applied if the provision of this Act so allows or these persons: 1) commit an attack against: a) own or another person’s life or health, or b) common security, or 2) violently destroy or damage objects within their surroundings, or 3) seriously disturb or obstruct the functioning of the psychiatric health centre or the social assistance organisational unit. (…) (6) Application of a coercive measure towards a person referred to in Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 1 and 2 consists in holding a person, coercive administration of medications, immobilization or isolation and, towards a person referred to in Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 3 – in holding or a coercive administration of medications. Directors of visited establishments provided examples of personnel’s dedication and involvement. On the basis of observed situations, it was hard for the visitors to assess the attitude of social care centres’ employees towards residents. In one of the centres, a number of residents stated that employyes yelled at them, slammed the doors, locked the rooms during the day and were aggressive. It was hard for the NPM representatives to assess whether these remarks were true, however, it needs to be emphasized that they were numerous and quite coherent (“Leśny” SCC in Warsaw). In reply, the Director of “Leśny” SCC in Warsaw admitted that the rooms were locked during the day. However, it only took place at the time of ventilation, as well as window and floor cleaning (for safety reasons). In other centres it was also recommended to treat residents with more respect (SCC in Góra Kalwaria, SCC No 3                                                              92 Explanations made by the Department of Social Assistance and Integration of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, sent by proxy of the Office of the Patient Rights Ombudsman, letter of 24 June 2010 (RzPP-ZZp071-2-6/TN/JS/10.

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents