again repeated that experience shows that the practice of wearing hospital clothes does not contribute to strengthening patients’ personal identity or self-confidence. Since the individualisation of clothing in secure wards might be an important part of the therapeutic process, the NPM proposed that Idrija Psychiatric Hospital inform the patients to the greatest extent possible of the possibility of wearing their own daytime clothing and encourage them to do so, except when such practice is hindered or prevented by the specifics of the patient’s medical condition. In their response to the preliminary report, the management of Idrija Psychiatric Hospital explained that, with regard to the NPM recommendation, they wished to emphasise their consistent practice and efforts to ensure that patients wear their own clothes when staying in the hospital, and that the hospital also encouraged them to do so. The internal agreement on wearing hospital clothes in the first days of accommodation in the hospital was not used to prevent exits. Patients in secure wards use hospital clothes to meet specific criteria dictating their application: · medical – a patient is in hospital clothes for medical reasons (acute psychopatological symptoms, physical illnesses, injuries, various levels of incontinence etc.); · hygienic – when the provisions of the Programme on the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections are being observed; · social/individual approach monitoring social conditions of the patient, which is observed when a patient has no additional personal clothes, no relatives or financial means for paying washing costs. With regard to this recommendation, the hospital stated that it would continue to insist on regular agreements within its medical team concerning the wearing of daytime clothes by patients, while taking into consideration strengthening the personal integrity, self-esteem, and dignity of patients, and by taking into consideration the specific criteria described with the aim of reducing the share of patients in hospital clothing. In the response to the final report on the visit, the Ministry of Health wrote that it agreed with the position of the NPM stating that patients should not wear hospital clothes during the day (without good reason). The Ministry informed the Ombudsman about the letter addressed to the Expanded Professional Board of Psychiatry at the Ministry. In 2009, the Board issued the opinion that patients and hospital staff must be encouraged to wear their own personal clothes (with the exception of special cases). Since this was not being done in certain hospitals, the Ministry turned to the Board with a request to re-evaluate this issue. The Ministry later informed us of the Board’s decision of 9 February 2017, which substantively resembled the opinion of this authority in 2009. The Board in its opinion clearly encourages the wearing of personal clothes in all secure wards in psychiatric hospitals, including the forensic unit, with the exception of special cases (somatic indications, medical interventions, special conditions, geriatric patients). All patients in hospital yards and nearby exits should wear their own clothing as per the recommendation. This applies to the medical staff and patients in open wards, with the exception of special cases (somatic indications). We recommended that the Unit for Forensic Psychiatry try to find a suitable solution to prevent exceeding capacities in sub-unit F1, possibly with an appropriate rearrangement of individual rooms (e.g. for implementing special protection measures) or accommodating certain patients from sub-unit F1 in other sub-units while providing sufficient treatment and safety for these patients. To the preliminary report on the visit in 2016, the management of the Department of Psychiatry replied that the opening of sub-unit E1 had enabled the unburdening of capacities of F units, thus temporarily resolving part of the issue. Due to this measure, some less acute patients may be transferred to unit F2, which is one of the F units, i.e. secure wards, if the number of patients increases (occasional increase in the number of patients from detention/prison, which is particularly noticeable recently). Units F1 and F2 function as high-risk units with higher protection. Since we established that the atrium still had no overhanging roof, which would facilitate patients’ staying in the fresh air in the case of unfavourable weather conditions, we recommended that the Unit for Forensic Psychiatry try to provide such a roof as soon as possible. To the preliminary report on the visit in 2016, the management of the Department of Psychiatry replied that the NPM recommendation would be forwarded to the management of Maribor University Medical Centre; however, consultation with other stakeholders (Prison Administration of the Republic of Slovenia and Ministry of Health) would be necessary regarding this issue. 76 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2016 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT