Adam Husicka
A WOMAN with a severe psychiatric disorder has taken her own life in the emergency ward of Terrassa Hospital after waiting more than 48 hours for a psychiatric bed.
The incident occurred on 22 August inside a cubicle in the A&E department, according to sources at the Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST).
The hospital has confirmed the case and says it is now under review by its Quality and Patient Safety Committee, with protocols from the Catalan health service being followed.
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The woman had been classified as high risk for suicide, but no bed was available in the psychiatric unit, which is specifically designed to handle such cases safely.
After two days of waiting, she ended her life while still in the emergency ward, where psychiatric patients are held alongside adults, children and elderly patients.
Staff say the conditions are unsuitable, noting that the psychiatry ward has locked windows, plastic cutlery and specialised supervision, while A&E does not.
Three days later, on 25 August, another psychiatric patient reportedly escaped from the same emergency ward and ran onto a nearby road.
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The hospital workers’ committee says the tragedy is part of a wider structural crisis caused by a shortage of beds.
They report that some psychiatric patients have been forced to remain in A&E for weeks, with the record wait lasting five weeks.
On average, even non-psychiatric patients are said to wait up to four days in the emergency department before being admitted.
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Union representatives argue that patients should only spend the “indispensable” amount of time in A&E before transfer, but that the system is unable to cope with demand.
Two staff members who tried to prevent the suicide are now on medical leave.
The patient’s family has not filed a complaint, while the hospital continues its internal investigation.
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