Plans unveiled for £10m unit for female psychiatric patients

HEALTH chiefs have unveiled plans to create a new £10 million centre aimed at plugging a hole in mental health care for women patients in York.

NHS North Yorkshire and York hopes to win permission to build an extension offering extra psychiatric treatment alongside its existing facilities on the Clifton Park Hospital site.

It would mean female patients could avoid the need to travel to other parts of the country to receive care.

A decision is expected to be made on the scheme in August.

If approved, the extension would have 22 bedrooms.

The Government-funded development would also include car and cycle parking space, a service road, a café and small gym and a network of CCTV cameras.

“Clifton Park Hospital provides a specialised service for male psychiatric patients and is the only one of its kind in North Yorkshire,” said a planning statement forming part of NHS North Yorkshire and York’s application.

“It provides a high level of service, but this is restricted to male patients.

“There is no provision for women in North Yorkshire and the only female units currently available are in Leeds, Newark, Warrington and Darlington, but all these facilities have a waiting list for beds.

“As a result, some female patients from York and the surrounding area have to be placed in independent facilities even further afield. This can be an obstacle to recovery, not only because of the stress which being in an unfamiliar area and situation can cause for patients, but also because it restricts visits by friends and relatives, which is a very important part of the recuperation process.”

Staffing levels at the hospital are expected to increase from 65 to 126 if the new facilities are given the go-ahead.

“This is one of our biggest schemes in mental health services for many years and is top of our list,” said Beverley Hunter, NHS North Yorkshire and York’s general manager for forensic and specialist services.

“It is really important, both for patients and carers, that they are looked after in their own county, not just because of the travelling aspect but also for long-term after-care reasons.”