NGOs involved in the mental health sector have been campaigning for a psychiatric hospital near Mater Dei, is this on the cards?

Yes. I have gone on record saying that we have embarked on a project of building an acute mental health care facility on the Mater Dei Campus. The Foundation for Medical Services has acquired the land for this and a medical brief is currently being drawn up.

Discussions with relevant stakeholders - including the NGOs you mention - will be scheduled in the near future. A Project Review Board within the Health Ministry has been set up and is piloting the development of the new facility. Of course, we will still need Mount Carmel for the psychiatric care of long-term care patients.

In fact, we are looking at the development of mental health care services in a holistic manner. We have embarked on a programme of reorganization and refurbishment at Mount Carmel; the building of a new acute hospital at Mater Dei; the further development of community mental health services. And then the drawing up of a long-term mental health strategy as part of the National Health Strategy for 2021 - 2030 which we have started working on. 

Mount Carmel has been screaming for attention for a long number of years. Successive administrations have been dormant with regard to Mount Carmel. What is being done to actually have a safe place for both patients and staff?

We have embarked on a programme of refurbishment and reorganisation of Mount Carmel Hospital. We are giving priority to the water system, electrical wiring and ageing beams, and have started refurbishment work in Male Ward 2. We have gutted out this Ward entirely and are creating a new ward on a par with the wards at Mater Dei. Once this is done - by April - we will move on to other sectors of the hospital. This process includes a reorganization of services in Mount Carmel. 

The services that MCH is offering are in the process of becoming more specialised with teams led by Psychiatrists specialised in different areas. Child and adolescent psychiatric services and acute psychiatric services are being prioritised in this process. Particular attention is also being given to addiction services. These services use a multidisciplinary approach with teams including psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and other health care professionals. 

At the moment there are patients that have their ID cards on Mount Carmel Hospital. How many are there and what will happen to them? Will they remain there?

At present there are over 500 patients receiving care at Mount Carmel Hospital, about 100 of them have been residing at the hospital for 20 years or more.

Over the last few years, we have placed a number of long-term patients in sheltered accommodation in the community in partnership with the Richmond Foundation and Suret il-Bniedem. However, a significant number of patients find it extremely difficult living outside the institution. We have therefore embarked on a five-year plan - which we started working on last year - to fully refurbish Mount Carmel. This hospital will continue to care for long-term patients. For acute cases we are looking at a new facility at Mater Dei. 

Male Ward 2 at Mount Carmel, which is currently being refurbished, will be ready in about six weeks' time. Besides this, major work is also being carried out on roof structures as well as on the electrical wiring and water pipes  - most of which have been there since Victorian times! The full reorganization and refurbishment of Mount Carmel will cost around €30 million.

It is a fact that mental health problems are on the increase and it is estimated that in 2020, there will be more mental health issues than heart and diabetes problems. What is the government doing to prevent this?

We are conscious that mental health problems are on the increase. In fact, we have embarked on a number of projects to start addressing this. For instance, we have consolidated and expanded the post-natal mental health service. This is now being extended to screen infants and young children for the first signs of mental health problems since evidence now shows that very early intervention can avoid long-term problems later in life. We are also working on the National Health Strategy for 2020 - 2030 (the current one runs until 2020) which will include a comprehensive mental health plan.

Over the past weeks, issues of lack of security and shortage of staff at Mount Carmel Hospital have resurfaced. Are these claims true? How is the Ministry for Health encouraging nurses to specialise in psychiatric care?

The shortage of nurses European wide is also reflected in Malta with mental health not being spared. The Ministry of Health together with the union of nurses has an ongoing campaign to recruit nurses in the country. Locally, a specialised degree in mental health is offered at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The improved physical environment at Mount Carmel as well as the ongoing reorganization of services - including new planned services in the community - is expected to have a positive effect on the recruitment of nurses in this sector. We are also in discussions with MUMN - the nurses' union - to not only increase staff, but also to utilize existing staff more efficiently in the interests of patient safety

The Commissioner for Mental Health said in his annual report that certain wards are in dire need of refurbishment. What are you doing about this? 

There is a commitment from the government to address this issue - the financial backing has been obtained and a strategic plan has been agreed on. In a few weeks' time, we will see the result of the first step of this project with the opening of a newly refurbished medical/psychiatric ward which has been upgraded to international clinical standards - Male Ward 2. The refurbishment of this Ward alone cost €1 million. Money well spent in my opinion. 

Dr Vicky Sultana, the director for nursing services, has recently been appointed at Mount Carmel Hospital. What are her responsibilities?

This is a new role for Mental Health and continues to show the high level of commitment that the government has to this sector. The new nursing director has been appointed to support and lead the present nursing administration that has been working hard for many years with dedication and commitment. Sultana has already proved herself at Mater Dei where she was instrumental in bringing about change and service improvements in this hospital. She now takes her vast experience in nursing management to Mount Carmel.

Mount Carmel also has a new chief executive officer Stephen Sultana. Was putting someone in the top post with no knowledge in mental health the right thing to do?

As he has already shown, the new CEO has all the necessary skills and experience to lead the sector of mental health with the support of clinical experts in the field. Sultana is proving to be a dedicated and energetic leader with great managerial skills. I wish him and his team well and will continue to support him as necessary. 

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