Figure 9: Average number of seclusion events and seclusion hours 2016–2019 Health and Disability facilities 60 50 48.5 51.1 48.1 40 30 20 10 2.12 0 Seclusions hours per person secluded (Average) 2016/17 2017/18 3.03 2.86 Seclusions per person (Average) 2018/19 Some stays were significantly longer – one man of Pacific descent had spent 10 days in seclusion in one forensic unit, and two Mäori men had spent 7 and 14 days each in one acute inpatient psychiatric unit. The Ombudsman reported the case of one man who was secluded in the High Care Secure Lounge of the Forensic Inpatient ward at Waikato hospital for close to three months following an assault on a member of staff. He stated “I consider the justification for continuing seclusion over a period of over 16 weeks was not established. The seclusion documentation regularly described a service user who did not demonstrate an imminent risk to the safety of others. I consider prolonged seclusion in these circumstances was degrading treatment and a breach of Article 16 of the Convention against Torture.” (Ombudsman, Puna Awhi-rua Forensic Inpatient Ward, Waikato Hospital ,2020, p11). I concur with the Ombudsman’s observations. Seclusion must only be used as a very short-term emergency measure, not as a longer-term solution for more challenging service users, or lack of more appropriate beds or staff shortages. Who was housed in seclusion rooms? According to Ministry of Health data, of the 589 service users secluded in the 6 months to March 2020 across the country, 406 were men, and 183 were women. Together, they were secluded for a total of 3,106 times. Mäori remained grossly over-represented in seclusion units. In the six months to March 2020, Mäori made up 51% of the total number of people secluded in Health and Disability facilities. Pacific Peoples made up 6%. 41