HSE confirm new mental health unit is to be built on hospital grounds
The HSE last week announced that plans to build a new Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit on the grounds of Sligo University Hospital have progressed.
Last week the HSE Directorate approved the award of the construction contract for the Acute Mental Health Unit.
HSE Estates will now progress with the appointment of the contractor and progress with the construction of the new facility. Subject to final agreement of programme it is intended that construction will be complete by the end of 2019 with the unit fully operational in early 2020.
In line with ‘A Vision for Change 2006’ which states Acute Inpatient Units should “be located in major general hospitals” this unit will be integrated within the Sligo University Hospital campus as an additional department as opposed to a separate entity altogether.
The population (catchment area) covered by Sligo Leitrim Mental Health Services is 109,000 people.
This acute unit will provide 25 inpatient beds and this is within the clinical guidelines set out in a ‘Vision for Change’ which recommends there should be 30 in-patient beds per 300,000 population.
This new unit will provide clients of Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services with a modern facility that will be purpose built to meet their needs. Each client will have their own single en-suite bedroom.
The existing unit at Ballytivnan known as St Columba’s will close when the new unit opens. All of the clients accessing an in-patient service at that time will transition to the new unit.