Guernsey States Members Discuss £25m Mental Health Facility

Guernsey is a step closer to getting a fit for purpose Mental Health Facility. States members have been discussing a new £25m development next to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

But the assembly will have to put it near the top of a prioritisation list next month for it to be built.

Mental Health touches many people’s lives and Guernsey’s no different. Staff have been commended for the work they are doing but HSSD say its time to spend significant money on the service.

According to Health and Social Services in this Billet £25m can get a brand new mental health facility for Guernsey. Now Experts say the Castel Hospital isn’t fit for purpose and a lot of people agree with that. But the States have to agree if that’s a priority or not.

Next month, the States will decide on what it spends it’s cash on in the next 4 years.

Health and Social Services Minister Hunter Adam says it’s about time the island addressed the lack of facilities in the Guernsey.

Deputy Hunter Adam, Health & Social Services Minister, told channelonline.tv; “This is a group of people who have been neglected for years, left to one side, they are not people who want to come out and tell us I’m disabled we need help…or my mind is broken I need help. So they’re called what is the Cinderella group of medical services. If you break your leg people can understand that. If you’ve got a broken mind it’s a different matter.”

If approved and put at the top of the priority list, the new hospital will be as good as any other mental health hospital for a similar size jurisdiction to Guernsey. It’s something the users of Mental Health Services want, and want now.

Sally Wooland, Mental Health Service User Group, told channelonline.tv; “We can’t take in the quantity of the people that we need to. There’s all different services different services, treatments coming about and there just isn’t the room to expand.”

It’s proposed the facility will be added onto the Princess Elizabeth Hospital site.

There’s no denying Guernsey’s in desperate need of such a building but there’s only so much money to go around. The States have some difficult decisions to make.