fundamental and human rights �.� national preventive mechanism against torture cess will be discussed. After this the units will be instructed on the temporary process applying only to psychiatric units. Seclusion premises Seclusion premises in psychiatric hospitals shall be clean, fresh, ventilated and sufficiently warm rooms in good condition and with windows, equipped with appropriate bed linen, protective clothing and other fixtures (including a clock). Patients must always be able to contact the nursing staff by ringing a bell or in some other way. During visits, the NPM has also paid attention to the furnishings of seclusion rooms; especially the fact that patients should not have to take their meals standing or sitting on the floor. The visit reports frequently cite the National Institute for Health and Welfare’s (THL) publication ”Decreasing coercion and improving safety in psychiatric care”, which also discusses the location and furnishings of seclusion rooms. According to the Ombudsman, seclusion rooms must be safe and appropriately equipped. The hospital’s seclusion premises were more reminiscent of a jail cell than an seclusion room for a psychiatric patient. The Ombudsman considered it to be degrading to force secluded patients to take their meals standing up or sitting on a thin mattress – let alone having to eat on the same floor or mattress on which the patient has urinated or defecated. Such situations expose the patients to degrading and humiliating treatment that is not acceptable under any circumstances. The Ombudsman deemed it possible that staff would not always have the time to take the patient to the toilet or assist the patient in using a bedpan. In such cases, the unit is required to ensure that patients never have to eat or rest on a surface soiled by human excrement. The responsibility for ending such degrading treatment is with the persons in charge of the hospital’s operations (5338/2017). The authority reported that it would take measures to bring the seclusion premises up to an appropriate standard. For example, two-way voice communication equipment has been installed in all se- 118 In Joensuu, the seclusion facilities in the adolescent psychiatric ward feature a scenery wallpaper, a high mattress and a cube table. clusion rooms. In 2018, the hospital intended to install armour glass panes on all seclusion room doors, enabling good visibility out of the room and improving interaction with the nurses. The floor surfaces will also be replaced with softer material. In addition, an appropriation for the renovation of the toilet facilities was made in the budget for 2019. High mattresses, cube tables and armchairs will be purchased for all seclusion rooms in 2018. The Ombudsman recommended that the hospital should pay more attention to the equipment, furnishings and appearance of the seclusion rooms, without compromising safety. The current situation could be improved by measures such as painting the surfaces and adding soft furniture. At a minimum, some furniture is required for eating, so that the patients do not have to set their meal trays down on the bed or floor. The Ombudsman noted that excrement-resistant soft furniture suitable for such purposes is available. The Ombudsman recommended the unit to remove dangerous details and graffiti from the rooms. It is expected that the condition and equipment of the new hospital’s seclusion rooms will be up to the required standard. Since the new premises will not be in use for several years yet and the issue is vital for the fundamental rights of the patients, the Om-