National Preventive Mechanism Neither the multi-bed rooms nor the confined dormitories – scantily separated by wood or glass partitions – are ideal to create sufficient private sphere, the opportunity to retreat and the possibility to organise one’s personal environment. Lockable wardrobes for private belongings are partly in the hallways and can only be opened by the care personnel. Medical and care activities for acute admissions in the crisis room as well as restraints are carried out in the presence of other patients due to limited space. In response to this criticism by the NPM, the regional government of Lower Austria has informed that 60 beds from the ward for adult psychiatry will be transferred to new wings or newly adapted buildings by 2018. Subsequently, the competent regional minister announced that the construction of the planned neurology bed wing was stopped in order to accommodate an adult psychiatry ward with 46 beds as a priority. This was explained with the critical observations and recommendations of the NPM among other things. The ward for the treatment of alcohol addiction is also undergoing extensive renovations and will be fitted in line with the needs of the patients. Renovation and new construction by 2018 An intensive area for patients requiring psychiatric care was set up in the child and adolescent ward in order to ensure that transfers to adult psychiatry are no longer necessary before moving to the new building in 2018. Positive provisional solutions for child and adolescent psychiatry The hospital operator assured the NPM that the new planning will ensure that restraints in the new wards are no longer carried out in the presence of third parties. These decisions mean that a clear optimisation of the care of mentally ill persons can be expected in the foreseeable future in Mauer Regional Hospital and that the key importance of architectural conditions for quality assurance will be taken into account. XX The architecture of health care institutions and facilities has an effect on the recovery process and on the occurrence of violence. Suitable architectural conditions must thus be provided to ensure quality treatment and to avoid violence. XX Suitable architectural conditions must be guaranteed in psychiatric wards in particular. It is unacceptable that the modernisation of psychiatric wards is often seen as lower priority than the modernisation of other wards. 137