caring Communication

sod turned on new National
Forensic Mental Health Hospital
The new National Forensic Mental Health
Service hospital ‘represents our modern
approach to mental health’, according to
Minister Kathleen Lynch as she turned the
sod on the new facility recently.
When completed, this new state of the art
facility, built on the site of St Ita’s Hospital,
Portrane, will replace the Central Mental
Hospital in Dundrum. The construction of
the new hospital is one of the Government’s
priority projects in the Capital Investment
Plan 2016 – 2020 and marks an important
milestone on the path to providing a modern
mental health service.
“It symbolises this government’s
commitment to prioritising mental health
in an open and progressive manner,” said
Minister Lynch.
“This commitment has been underpinned
by the allocation of €120m in the HSE
Capital Programme 2016-2020 to deliver this
project. This makes it the third biggest health
capital project being progressed by the State
in the current capital plan. In turning the sod
today, we can all be assured that there is no
going back on this crucial project.
“I would like to also pay tribute to the
many people who campaigned for this state
of the art facility, those who still use and
work in the mental health services and their
predecessors.”
Anne O’Connor, HSE National Director of
Mental Health praised the work of the staff in
bringing the project to its present stage.
“I would like to congratulate all involved in
designing and developing this new state of
the art facility, which is designed to meet the
needs of our service users, family members
and staff. I would also like to thank all of our
staff who have worked tirelessly over many
years for their commitment and hard work to
bring this project to this crucial stage.
This facility will be a critical component
to the delivery of the full range of mental
health services to the population of Ireland,”
said Ms O’Connor. Professor Harry Kennedy,
Executive Clinical Director, NFMHS, said it
was a ‘welcome development for people
with the most severe, enduring and disabling
mental disorders’.
“The new hospital will provide a modern,
safe and secure therapeutic environment.
This will enable the HSE’s National Forensic
Mental Health Service to work with our
patients and their families to achieve their
recovery,” he said.
The NFMHS hospital will comprise of a
120-bed Adult Forensic Hospital, together
with a 10-bed Forensic Child and Adolescent
Unit, and a 10-bed Forensic Mental Health
Intellectual Disability Unit on the same site
within the St Ita’s Hospital campus.
The new facility is expected to be
completed by the end of 2018. When
completed, patients, their families, and
staff will benefit from transferring from
an antiquated building to state-of-the-art
facilities in a new modern forensic setting.
St Ita’s will continue to provide specialist
services for people with intellectual
disabilities, in addition to child and
adolescent mental health services.
spring 2016 | health matters | 63