A £15million in-patient mental health unit has opened.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has opened the newest, medium-secure mental hospital in the country at Hellingly, near Hailsham, where mental health services have been provided for more than 100 years.
The development is “the biggest single investment ever made by Sussex Partnership”.
It provides four 15-bed wards and a range of therapy areas, and includes a complete refit of Ashen Hill, the trust’s previous medium-secure hospital.
A spokesman for the trust said: “It has been built to the highest standards of safety and security, and features state-of-the-art entry and alarm systems.
"It is a large building, but is designed not to feel intimidating to visitors or patients.
"Although it is surrounded by a three-metre high fence, the hospital blends sensitively into the landscape.”
Lisa Rodrigues, the trust chief executive, said: “The team of professionals who run our secure services combine expertise with compassion. They are dedicated to working with patients to offer the right treatment and, if possible, help them move back into society. A facility such as this enables our staff to provide world-class services.”
A feature of the new building is an arts project developed by occupational therapists at Sussex Partnership in collaboration with the Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne. The hospital will start admitting patients later this month.
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