We agreed to develop a new single adult mental health assessment unit in 2014. We want to hear your views on the locations we have looked at as possible sites for our new single adult mental health assessment unit. A multi-agency group, including service users and carers, reviewed options for locations against a set of agreed criteria, to inform our recommendation for the future site. We want to know what you think of this recommendation.
Within this document, we outline the range of services we are proposing to include within the new unit to help inform your feedback.
Yes. In 2013-14, the former Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board undertook formal public consultation on the organisation and location of its Adult Mental Health Acute Assessment Facilities. In March 2014 ABMU Health Board considered the outcome of this consultation and concluded that a single acute mental health assessment unit for the Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot population covered by ABMU, should be built, supported by local community and crisis mental health services. The Board further agreed that the site for this unit should be Neath Port Talbot Hospital as it was an acute hospital site (reflecting Welsh Government guidance at the time), it was geographically central for the areas served and the site could accommodate this new build. The then ABMU Community Health Council subsequently agreed to support, in principle, the centralisation of these services subject to the development and implementation of pathways of care to support this in advance of the new unit opening.
Due to changes to the Health Board’s boundary, the potential site options need to be reconsidered, as Neath Port Talbot Hospital site is no longer a central site for the Swansea Bay population, and Welsh Government guidance recommending co-location with an acute hospital has changed. Therefore, the planned new build was not progressed and further work was required to reconsider the best location of this unit for the Swansea Bay area. We now need to confirm the future site for the new unit through this engagement so that we can work with Welsh Government to identify the required capital funding and start the detailed planning, with our staff, partners, service users and carers for the unit.
As part of our response to the pandemic, we have developed a single integrated service, designated specific wards for admissions and treatment and built on the work our Crisis/Home Treatment teams are doing. We are also developing a Mental Health Assessment Hub for all ages utilising the 111 platform. These developments support the pathway preparation in advance of the new unit opening.
This document outlines how services for adults with acute mental health needs will be provided in the future and explains the possible sites for this unit that have been identified and therefore the proposed location of this facility at Cefn Coed Hospital.
If the new unit were to be built on the Cefn Coed site, as proposed in this document, there would be access to on-site expertise and existing facilities from the existing units and services provided there. These services include the Older People’s Mental Health inpatient wards and Mental Health Rehabilitation wards, allowing the new Adult Mental Health Unit to be an integrated part of a range of mental health services for the Swansea Bay population within new fit for purpose units on one site.
Offering mental health services on one site has several advantages including less transport and disruption for patients who become more poorly and require the PICU service as well as patients who are improving and ready to access rehabilitation services.
Locating the mental health services together provides additional benefits around economies of scale, particularly around costs such as medical rotas, cross cover of staff between wards and reduced costs for support services.
In addition, it is a health board owned location that means the planning permissions required would be quicker and simpler.
The Health Board’s strategic direction has been agreed to provide local services where possible and specialist where necessary and the approach to the development of a single adult mental health unit fits with our agreed direction of travel. The Health Board’s Changing for the Future public engagement exercise, which was carried out during the summer of 2021, gave a clear mandate to the Health Board’s strategic development of our acute hospital sites. The co-location of mental health services on the acute hospital sites is not a part of the creation of these centres of excellence for physical health. The proposed location supports the outcome of the Changing for the Future public engagement, and the Health Board’s Clinical Services Plan.
Public engagement on the future location of Adult Acute Mental Health Assessment Beds in Swansea Bay University Health Board is from 31st January 2022 to 25th March 2022.
These documents also available in Welsh, large print (English and Welsh), audio disk (English and Welsh), British Sign Language video, Easy Read and Braille. You can request these by ringing 01639 683355 or by emailing SBU.engagement@wales.nhs.uk.
Below you will find details of the different ways you can contact us and get involved in this engagement.
You can let us know what you think by:
Filling in the response form linked here and returning it to us via the address or email address located below.
Writing to us:
Chief Executive, Swansea Bay UHB, One Talbot Gateway, Baglan, SA12 7BR
Emailing us: SBU.engagement@wales.nhs.uk
Phoning us and leaving a message: (01639) 683355
Link to our Facebook page here
Link to our Twitter account here
Alternatively, you can let the Community Health Council know your views by writing to them at:
Swansea Bay Community Health Council, Cimla Hospital, Cimla, Neath, SA11 3SU
Or emailing them: swanseabay@waleschc.org.uk
Thank you for reading this and giving us your views.
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.
We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.