$25m approved for mental health unit

Whangarei Hospital is to get a new mental health unit following a $25 million nod from the Government.
Health Minister Tony Ryall gave Northland District Health Board approval yesterday to use $25 million from its own reserves for stage one of major improvements to Whangarei Hospital.
The 25 bed acute in-patient unit, a new hospital kitchen and site work in preparation for later projects, comprise stage one of a multi-stage redevelopment.
In making the announcement, Mr Ryall said the new unit would mean more mental health treatment options at Whangarei Hospital.
No government funding is required at this early stage of the ambitious campus redevelopment, the amount being met from the board's coffers.
Future stages might depend on government support, chief executive Karen Roach said.
However, an earlier total-campus plan with a proposed $184 million price tag would be scaled back in keeping with the current financial pinch, Ms Roach said.
Chairwoman Lynette Stew art welcomed the minister's commitment to helping the board meet Northland's growing health needs.
``This is the first of a number of building stages planned. New jobs will be created and significant financial investment in the region will occur, creating a sustainable health care service in Northland for some time to come.'
As well as the 25-bed unit the board plans to develop a sub-acute in-patient facility in the mid-north.
In the meantime, the
board and staff looked forward to a modern facility replacing the current 50-year-old building which had never fully coped with modern care requirements, mental health services manager Jo Holdaway said.
Last year there were 416 admissions to the unit, and 390 in 2007. The need for a new unit was recognised long before assessment for the redevelopment began in 2007.
At that time the board was fielding flak over a spate of escapes and other incidents at its mental health unit. Whangarei MP Phil Heatley also questioned
the level of supervision at the physically outdated and inadequate facility.
Applauding his parliamentary colleague's approval for the $25 million spend-up, Mr Heatley said he had in the past been approached by clinicians and consumers concerned about the state of the current facility.
``This is not before time, and I'm delighted it's happening now,' he said.
Stage one of the campus revamp is likely to be followed by construction of a three-story building housing new emergency and outpatient departments.