New plans unveiled for new mental health facility at Poole's St Ann's Hospital
10 new beds are expected to be added
Last updated 16th Nov 2022
Plans have been unveiled to add a new building dedicated to mental health at St Ann's Hospital.
We're told this mental health unit will provide specialist support to people going through a serious mental health crisis.
10 new beds are predicted to be added - in addition to the spaces already available in the main mental health unit of St Ann's Hospital.
Faisil Sethi - Chief Medical Officer for Dorset Healthcare - says this building is being added because the demand for mental health care is bigger than ever.
He told us: "Given our experiences of the last few years, I think we all appreciate that good mental health is as important as good physical health.
"I think society is increasingly recognising this and more and more people are seeking help.
"This means the need for mental health facilities is greater than it's ever been - and it continues to rise.
"We want to add this facility, so people have a facility closer to home as being closer to home brings people closer to friends and family.
"It shortens the time it takes people from a mental health crisis - actually sometimes just knowing that you're close to your loved ones can aid recovery and reduce stress and anxiety."