Health Minister Opens New Children's Mental Health Unit, Wales

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Mental Health;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 10 Jul 2009 - 5:00 PST

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A new mental health unit for children and young people in north Wales will be officially opened by Health Minister Edwina Hart.

The £15 million Assembly Government-funded, purpose-built unit has been developed on the site of Abergele Hospital due to its central location in Conwy, north Wales.

The unit will provide a seven-day service, with 24-hour emergency cover and will increase the number of child and adolescent mental health beds in north Wales to 18, including a six-bed emergency or high dependency ward and a 12-bed planned treatment ward.

The new facility will provide help and support for children and young people in north Wales who are experiencing complex mental health problems such as severe eating disorders, mood disorders and self-harm.

The buildings have been designed specifically for young patients, many of whom have contributed to the planning process.

This investment complements plans to enhance Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Services in south Wales with a new £26 million centre in the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, and an additional £25 million of funding for new adult and elderly mental health units at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Edwina Hart said: "The new facilities will greatly improve the specialist care on offer locally to children and young people experiencing mental health problems.

"This is part of a wider commitment to mental health, with new facilities for young people in south Wales and additional mental health units for adults in north Wales due to be completed over the next two years.

"I am determined to further improve services across Wales by increasing the capacity to deal with mental health issues and by raising the profile of mental health services within the NHS."

North Wales NHS Trust Chairman Michael Williams said: "We are delighted to be opening this new unit for North Wales, which will provide very specialist care for some of our most vulnerable children.

"For this group of patients it is especially important that we can care for them locally within North Wales, rather than having to transfer people to services in England, away from family and friends.

"I want to thank the many health staff, service users and their family members who have contributed their valuable knowledge and experience to help us plan and create a unit that will allow us to provide the care and support that is needed."

Notes

Diary marker

The Health Minister will visit Abergele Hospital to officially open the new unit at 11.30am on Friday, 10 July 2009.

You are invited to send a photographer/ camera crew/ reporter to this event.

-- In developing the proposals, Health Commission Wales, as commissioners of this service, and North Wales NHS Trust, as the providers of the service, took into account the views of children young people and their parents who currently access the existing facilities.

-- The new unit will represents a substantial improvement compared to the current accommodation and service, with more patients treated closer to home in an appropriate physical environment.

-- The new unit will be able to treat the following conditions:

- Severe eating disorders
- Severe affective disorders
- Severe anxiety/emotional disorders
- Severe obsessive compulsive disorders
- Psychotic disorders
- Other mental illness where physical, social and family variables operate to inhibit process.

-- The new facilities in Bridgend will be developed and managed by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust, but the services will be delivered by Cwm Taf NHS Trust, which leads on child and adolescent mental health services in South Wales.

-- The Welsh Assembly Government is providing £26m funding for the unit in Bridgend.

-- The new unit is expected to open early in 2011. The new unit is based in Bridgend due to its central location in South Wales.

-- The unit, providing a 24-hour, seven-day service, will have a 14-bed planned treatment ward and a five-bed emergency and high-dependency ward, and help children and young people who are experiencing complex mental health problems such as eating disorders, mood disorders and self-harm.

-- The Welsh Assembly Government is providing £25m funding for adult and elderly mental health units at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

-- The re-development of the current mental health unit - Llwyn y Groes - will provide a 44-bed unit on the Wrexham Maelor site, creating a more therapeutic environment for patients in North East Wales.

-- Linked to this site will be a new 28 bed elderly mental health unit which will provide modern, state-of-the-art services such as an activity centre, including therapeutic and activity areas and accommodation supporting hospital memory services and liaison services.

-- The linking of the units will create an integrated facility with shared physical infrastructure and allow clinical cross over.

-- The Wrexham units are expected to be up and running by the end of 2010.

Source
Welsh Assembly Government