Sir, - Vincent Browne (Opinion, August 11th) questions the independence of the Inspector of Mental Hospitals because of various bureaucratic preludes to the publication of the inspector's annual reports. His apprehensions are unfounded. Draft reports are submitted to health boards for the correction of any factual errors that may have crept in because of conflicting information given by different individuals interviewed during inspection visits - a particular ward may contain 26 not 25 patients and be staffed by six rather than five nurses and so on. Similarly, "editing" in the Department of Health and Children refers to an exercise dealing with the inspector's ungrammaticisms, split infinitives and the like.
In my 12 years as Inspector of Mental Hospitals the annual reports have appeared, in meaning and substance, as they were originally presented and any subsequent changes have related only to matters of fact. There never has been interference by Minister or Department officials and no alterations, deletions or "softening" of criticisms have ever resulted even when directed at the Department's own role in providing and, particularly, in funding mental health services.
The annual reports have often angered local service providers, including professional colleagues but at the end of the day they may have contributed in some small way to the improvement of our mental health services. Indeed, Mr Browne himself has flattered the inspectorate recently in the very same column by quoting verbatim and at length our forthright criticisms of conditions in the Mental Handicap Unit in St Ita's Hospital, Portrane - conditions which have since been greatly improved. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Dermot Walsh, Inspector of Mental Hospitals, Hawkins House, Hawkins Street, Dublin 2.