The Island could have a new purpose built mental health facility designed to meet modern standards and growing need, if Tynwald approves ?7.2 million in spending from the capital fund at its May sitting.

The new building would serve as an acute adult psychiatric inpatient unit replacing the current facility at Grianagh Court on the Noble’s Hospital campus.

Grianagh Court cannot meet current or future need, having operated at 100% occupancy for several years. This exceeds the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ recommendation for an occupancy rate of between 85% and 95%, to allow for emergencies. Failure to address this situation risks the significant cost of having to admit patients to UK facilities, not to mention the inconvenience and distress this could cause patients and their family members.

Refurbishing and extending Grianagh Court was considered, but it became clear that adapting the building to meet the required specifications and environment to enable appropriate care to be provided wouldn’t be possible given its design. Even if this had been possible it would have likely required vacating the premises, with no other suitable facility on the Island to safely and cost effectively accommodate patients during the works.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said: “Our mental health service plays a pivotal role in the wellbeing of our population, and those who require admission to the inpatient unit are undoubtedly some of the most vulnerable people on our Island.

“It is vital that we continue to invest in our health and social care infrastructure. This is necessary to meet increasing need as our population grows and to ensure that we provide facilities that adhere to the highest care quality and patient safety standards.”

The Department explored a number of potential options and a new purpose built unit with additional capacity was determined to be the most practical and cost effective long term option.

Detailed plans for the new unit have already been drawn up following Tynwald approval for the design fees as part of the 2014/15 Budget.

The new facility would be based near Noble’s Hospital, adjoining the Rehabilitation and Recovery Unit, Geddyn Reesht, which opened in 2009. There would be two wards – one for younger adults and one for older persons – however the building has been specifically designed to offer flexibility to adapt to the needs of the service.

Capacity would increase by 30%, with an additional 6 beds, bringing the total to 26. As well as providing much needed capacity for emergency admissions, the increase in beds accounts for the Island’s population growth over the past decade (5.5%), projected population growth, and the need to address the challenges of an ageing population which will see increasing need across health and social care services.

Member for Mental Health Services, Michael Coleman MLC, said: “Safety is our number one priority and the new facility would allow us to offer an environment that reduces the risk of self-harm.

“The new facility would provide a specially designed environment to meet the specific needs of mental health patients. The design of mental health environments has become a specialty in its own right, having rapidly evolved over the past 10 years. Research indicates that the design of a building and the ward environment can enhance a patient’s recovery, so we plan to provide comfortable surroundings that challenge the traditional ‘institutionalised’ view many people associate with older inpatient facilities.”