Union interference raises concerns over placement of minor in adult psychiatric ward in Malta

The Foundation for Social Welfare Services has filed a court application to obtain authorisation to pursue legal channels against MUMN over the placement of a minor at the adult psychiatric ward at Mount Carmel Hospital.

Recent Facebook posts by lecturer and broadcaster Andrew Azzopardi have raised serious concerns regarding the treatment of a minor patient who has been placed in an adult psychiatric ward at Mount Carmel Hospital, despite clear medical advice that the patient requires specialized care at the Youth Psychiatric Unit (YPU).

The YPU, a mental health facility licensed to provide inpatient care for children and adolescents, is specifically equipped and staffed to manage severe mental health issues among young patients. According to medical professionals, including psychiatrists, the minor’s care needs are complex, making placement in the adult ward inappropriate and potentially harmful.

After receiving acute care at Mater Dei Hospital, medical professionals recommended that the minor return to the YPU to receive appropriate care for her diagnosis.

However, a directive from MUMN instructed YPU staff to remove the minor from the ward if admitted, effectively blocking access to the unit. As a result, the minor was placed in a ward at Mount Carmel Hospital, against the advice of her medical team and psychiatrists.

 The minor has also repeatedly expressed psychological distress and self-harming behaviour due to the placement, emphasizing that the adult ward environment is unsafe and unsuitable for someone of her age and condition.

 Andrew Azzopardi had raised several concerns over the situation.

“The YPU is licensed and staffed to manage complex child and adolescent mental health cases so why is the union objecting to this minor being cared for? If the YPU is functioning properly, it should be fully equipped to care for complex cases. If the unit cannot accommodate a patient, the problem lies within the system, not the patient. Either the YPU are not doing their job, or something is seriously wrong if there is a unit catered specifically for minors and it is not being made use of,” he said.

The FSWS have also taken the necessary legal measures to protect the minor’s rights to proper and adequate care, as guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 The FSWS have filed an application before the court requesting that the minor be immediately transferred back to the YPU, where the minor can receive appropriate care.  

Legal representatives have requested authorization to pursue action against MUMN for obstructing the minor’s placement in the YPU. The appeal further stressed that the minor’s placement in an adult ward has caused psychological harm, and that medical professionals’ recommendations should take precedence over union directives.

 After acknowledging the reports and advice of the psychiatrists and medical team, the court issued a ruling emphasising the minor’s placement in the YPU is essential to safeguard her mental health.

 In its ruling, the court authorized the FSWS to proceed with any possible and necessary legal action against MUMN, to ensure that the minor receives proper care, the interests of the minor are protected and her fundamental right to proper and adequate care is safeguarded.

The court also ordered that a record of the minor’s transfer to the YPU must be included in the case file as confirmation of compliance with the court’s order.