Mental health unit on hospital site

Jun 18 2008 by Martin Williams, Rhyl Visitor

A £13.7million purpose-built mental health unit will be developed on the site of Abergele Hospital.

The development comes as final plans for a new unit for children and young people in North Wales were approved by Welsh Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart last week.

It will provide a seven-day service, with 24-hour emergency cover, and will increase the number of child and adolescent mental health beds in North Wales to 18, including a six-bed emergency or high-dependency ward. Work on the unit is due to start in the next few weeks.

“The new facilities will greatly improve the specialist care on offer locally to children and young people experiencing mental health problems,” said Ms Hart. “I am determined to further improve mental health services and to raise the profile of the importance of mental health services within the NHS. For too long it has been seen as a Cinderella service.”

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