MENTAL HEALTH


Public give feedback on PICU scheme


M


embers of the public are being asked for their feedback on plans to build a £5.5m psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Exeter. Plans have been submitted by Devon Partnership NHS Trust


(DPT) to improve care for mental health patients in the area by building a new facility at its Wonford House headquarters. If approved, it will be a single-storey building with 10 beds situated on part of the existing carpark and grassed lawn. It will offer treatment for both men and women. A drop-in consultation day this month will gauge support from the


local community and offer them a chance to ask questions or raise any concerns. Devon does not currently have a PICU and those with mental health needs have to travel outside the county, often hundreds of miles away. DPT chief executive, Melanie Walker, said: “In 2015 alone, there were 116 placements outside the county for people who needed intensive care, some as far away as Bradford, and this is simply unacceptable. “We want to make as many services as possible available locally and,


in the longer-term, we are also exploring the possibility of building a specialist perinatal unit on the Wonford House site, another service which is currently unavailable in Devon.”


mhdf magazine 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17