Northern Health officially welcomed the first patients into the Northern Hospital Mental Health Unit on Tuesday.
With 30 acute inpatient mental health beds and a contemporary and modern design, this building encompasses technologically enhanced sensory rooms and courtyards with in-built exercise equipment.
The patient rooms and communal spaces are light, supportive and flexible so the changing needs of consumers can be accommodated to throughout their stay.
Consumers will also have access to a range of shared internal spaces for social, therapeutic and recreational activities.
“Following from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, Northern Health became a designated mental health service on 1 July 2022,” mental health executive director Belinda Scott said.
“This new facility will allow us to implement a model of care that realises the vision of the Royal Commission.
“It is fantastic to see the impact the input from our lived-experience consumers has had on the final result – this unit is a functional space for staff to work in and a comfortable environment for patients to recover in.”
On August 15, Northern Health hosted a Mental Health Open Day, which included a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, along with speeches from executives and
lived experience consumers and a performance from the Northern Health Community Choir.
“I am proud and pleased to see this facility open and filled with staff capable and committed to providing mental health patients with the support they need, close to their homes, families and
support networks,” said Northern Health chief executive Siva Sivarajah said.
