Unannounced inspections under the Crimes of Torture Act conducted by the Chief Ombudsman in 2020 reveal that two of the three mental health facilities checked, are not fit for purpose and do not meet prescribed standards of cleanliness and maintenance, TVNZ reports. Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier found that Hutt Hospital’s Te Whare Ahuru and Palmerston North Hospital’s psychogeriatric unit, STAR 1, were not fit for purpose. However, Middlemore Hospital’s Tiaho Mai unit was praised as showing the positive impact a purpose-built, fit for purpose facility environment could have.
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