NHS launches £7.6m mental health unit for young people

A new £7.6m hospital unit for teenagers battling serious mental health problems including eating disorders has been officially opened in Glasgow.

The 24-bed purpose-built facility has been designed to offer a “home away from home” for young people in the west of Scotland suffering from a range of conditions such as depression, self-harm and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Patients aged 12 to 18 who are treated at Skye House, based at the city’s Stobhill Hospital, will have to access to en suite bedrooms, a purpose-built gym, fully equipped classrooms, landscaped gardens and overnight accommodation for relatives.

The unit, officially opened yesterday by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, offers six more beds than the facility it is replacing, the west of Scotland Adolescent Inpatient Unit at Gartnavel.

Mental health experts say the dedicated service will lead to substantial improvements in the care and treatment of young people battling severe mental health problems.

The Mental Welfare Commission has highlighted the lack of in-patient beds and dedicated care for young people suffering from conditions including anorexia, depression and self-harm.

They say many young people are waiting months for treatment and when it comes it is inappropriate with many under-18s treated on adult psychiatric wards.

Lauren McLelland, ward manager of Skye House, said: “The major difference in this unit is the increase in the number of beds from 16 to 24. There is also a far greater patient focus and a better environment for the young people which means they can focus on getting better.

“We always have a waiting list and we have to do our best to prioritise cases.

It has been estimated that up to 25% of children and young people under the age of 16 have a diagnosable mental health problem such as depression, deliberate self-harm, eating disorders and substance misuse.

About two in 100 children under the age of 12 are depressed to the extent they would benefit from professional help. Suicide accounts for 20% of all deaths of young people aged 15 to 24, and is the second-most-common cause of death for young men after road accidents.

Young patients were involved in the planning process of the new hospital, which will take patients from five health board areas in the west of Scotland including Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.

A spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Skye House offers a unique and unrivalled ability to offer young people what they have never had before – a home away from home.”

A recent report found 70% of school staff are personally supporting pupils with emotional or mental health problems at least once a week.

The survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers found that one-quarter (25.9%) are offering assistance more than once a day.

Earlier this year, health minister Shona Robison opened The North of Scotland Eden Unit at Aberdeen’s Royal Cornhill Hospital – Scotland’s first NHS inpatient unit for people suffering from anorexia and bulimia.