Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Elysium Healthcare have come together in partnership to build and manage a brand-new, dedicated mental health inpatient unit for young people.
The new £10 million unit will provide inpatient beds for young people aged people between 12 and 18 years old and will be based in Charlwood in Surrey. It will be opened at the end of 2023 and will mean young people with acute mental health needs who require inpatient care can be treated closer to home.
Approximately £6 million in funding has been provided by NHS England to operate the new facility as part of a national NHS programme to ensure specialist services are available throughout the country to meet the needs of local populations. An additional £4 million has been invested by Elysium Healthcare to build the new unit. Elysium operates several inpatient facilities nationally supporting the emotional, behavioural and mental health needs of young people.
Construction of the unit began this week and was marked by an official ground-breaking ceremony. The unit will offer 12 inpatient beds for young people and a therapeutic, safe, and nurturing environment to support and aid recovery. There will be a variety of communal living and outdoor spaces to give young people the opportunity to socialise with their peers and be as independent as possible. There will also be an Ofsted registered school set up on-site to enable young people to continue with their schooling whilst receiving treatment.
Graham Wareham, Chief Executive of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “Young people need to be cared for close to home when they are at their most vulnerable with acute mental health needs. The opening of this new unit will help us provide care and treatment for many young people, so they get the support they need without having to travel far from their families, carers, and friends.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Elysium Healthcare who bring their extensive experience of opening, and operating, similar units nationally, and together, our aim is to transform the care experience for young people needing inpatient services in Surrey.”
Children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health services are already seeing the benefits of partnership working through Mindworks Surrey, an alliance between Surrey and Borders Partnership and other NHS and local and national voluntary sector organisations. This supports the wellbeing of children and young people in the community. The new facility will mean that community and inpatient care is more seamlessly integrated.
Joy Chamberlain, Chief Executive Officer of Elysium Healthcare said: “I am delighted that Elysium and Surrey and Borders Partnership are collaborating on this joint venture. We are bringing together expert knowledge, clinical acumen, innovation, and capital to deliver the best care for the young people of Surrey.
“Partnership working to deliver services in this way will create a new benchmark for the future, and we look forward to continuing to work with Surrey and Borders Partnership on this exciting journey.”
The mental health unit will prioritise support for young people in Surrey and, where there is capacity, across other south east regions.