Ayrshire adolescent mental health facility to open in January
A new national adolescent mental health facility in Ayrshire is nearing completion.
Work on Foxgrove - the National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service - at Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine is set to conclude soon with a formal hand over to NHS Ayrshire and Arran due to take place in September.
The facility, an inpatient unit for children aged 12 to 18 years who have complex difficulties and need a high level of care, is expected to be fully operational and start receiving patients from January.
It will provide the first medium secure adolescent inpatient service for young people in Scotland.
Following national investment, the purpose-built facility in Ayrshire means that children will be cared for nearer to home and will receive appropriate care, treatment, therapies, security and on-going education.
Caroline Cameron, Director of North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: 'We are delighted to be nearing the end of the construction phase at Foxgrove and working towards improving outcomes for young people with complex mental health needs.
'This much needed national facility will be of huge benefit to children from around the country who are seriously unwell.
'Currently, these patients are referred to secure adolescent mental health facilities in England or in adult inpatient settings, placing significant additional pressure and stress on the young people, as well as their families.
'This modern, purpose-designed facility will ensure that Scottish adolescents with challenging mental health illnesses can access the health care, education, and support services they need, while remaining closer to their support network of family and friends.
'We have recently hired a number of teaching staff to join our highly skilled team at Foxgrove, with recruitment under way for a variety of additional roles.
'This offers an ideal opportunity to join the team during this exciting phase of the facility's development.'
Mental Wellbeing Minister, Tom Arthur, said: 'I'm very pleased that work is progressing to open a new national facility to support young people with some of the most challenging mental health issues.
'Whilst we have made welcome progress in meeting the national standard on waiting times for children and young people accessing mental health services this year, I am determined to do more to ensure high-quality services are in place to offer care in the right place, at the right time. This new facility will be an important step towards helping us do this.'
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