11:00pm Friday 28th September 2007
By Newsdesk
A £10 million mental health centre has been opened at Airedale General Hospital.
The Airedale Centre for Mental Health, run by Bradford District Care Trust, has been described as an "innovation".
Bradford District Care Trust chairman Barry Seal desc-ribed the unit as being "like a hotel," with its en-suite bedrooms, gymnasium, computer suite, social lounges and art and craft rooms.
The centre now operates a needs-led, rather than age-led, service, meaning young and old will be cared for together.
The centre was officially opened by Bradford's Lord Kamlesh Patel, chairman of the Mental Health Comm-ission.
He said: "People coming into hospital at a time of mental crisis should be received into a friendly, clean and comfortable environment where they can feel safe. I have high hopes Airedale will provide such an environment.
"They have male and female wards here, which is important for women, who must not feel threatened, and should not have to share facilities with men in ways that undermine their safety or dignity.
"The centre is not what you would expect from a hospital, in that it doesn't feel clinical. There is a very homely feel."
Lord Patel said mental health care was going through a transition with the development of community services and people being increasingly treated from home, but said that should not draw attention and funding away from in-patient care.
He said: "Up and down the country the Mental Health Commission sees staff in old and inadequate facilities struggling to provide appropriate care and treatment.
"I want to pay tribute to Bradford District Care Trust for providing this new centre."
Trust chief executive Simon Large said: "This centre is bang up to date and we're extremely proud of it. There will not be many other mental health care units in the country that can offer more than what we're offering."
The centre has replaced wards four, 11 and 12 of the main hospital.
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