Agenda item

Andy Harrison and Mick Burrows of Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust outlined proposed changes to local inpatient mental health services, which offered an opportunity to transform the facilities currently available in Derbyshire and bringing local mental health inpatient services in line with national expectations.

          The level of investment being allocated to Derbyshire to make these improvements was £80m, to be split equally between a development in Derby  and a new facility at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site.  An application for funding had been made to NHS England and Improvement.

          The report outlined the updated plans, which had received initial support from NHS England and Improvement.  These changes were expected to be made quickly, to improve privacy, dignity and the overall patient experience of people receiving inpatient care for their acute mental health needs so it was important to work at pace to implement the changes required and gain to access the funds available within the funding timescale.

 
          There were currently two acute inpatient services for adults of working age – the Hartington Unit based on the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site and the Radbourne Unit based on the Royal Derby Hospital site.  The Trust had identified that the current estate did not comply with current regulatory and legislative requirements.  The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had also recommended actions to improve the estate and, given the significant level of investment required, these changes could not be funded by the local health care system.  This substantial investment from NHS England and Improvement would ensure national requirements were met across Derbyshire.

          The report went on to detail the current facilities of both the Hartington and Radbourne units, the latter of which also provided an Enhanced Care Ward (ECW) which provided a slightly higher level of clinical support as there was no Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in the county, to support local people with the most acute mental health needs.  Current arrangements required people to travel outside of the area to access an appropriate PICU bed which was not ideal for the patient or the important contact and support that can often be found in regular interaction and visits from family and friends.

          Plans of the sites were shown - at Chesterfield, a new 54 bedded facility with single rooms, across three wards, with flexibility to support men, women and non-binary patients and at Kingsway, a new 54 bedded male facility, across three wards.  The Trust was also seeking support from the Joined Up Care Derbyshire system for local capital funding for the refurbishment of the existing Radbourne Unit in Derby to provide 34 female single rooms, across two wards, and complete eradication of dormitory wards and a development at Kingsway Hospital for up to eight new beds in an ‘acute plus’ facility for women and a new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit for 14 men.  It was noted that no beds would be lost in this development.

          Audrey House, a ten-bed rehabilitation facility at Kingsway Hospital, was likely to be used as an interim de-cant facility to facilitate the rest of the programme.  This site was not currently being used for clinical purposes due to less beds being needed to meet the demand for inpatient rehabilitation services.  It also had potential for the new female ‘acute plus’ facility, offering up to eight beds. 

          This was a very positive development which would greatly enhance the acute mental health care currently provided in Derby and Derbyshire, with no reduction in service.  Engagement with the service user forum EQUAL continued and a dedicated session had been held.  Engagement with wider internal and external stakeholders, public and other interested parties would be begin later in this summer. 

          The Committee recognised that the project had to move at pace to achieve the grant spend by March 2024 and that facilities for elderly/frail patients were subject to a separate review.

          RESOLVED – to bring further details of the elderly/frail facilities to the September or November Committee meeting.