Over £400 million pledged to remove dormitories from mental health facilities

12 Oct 2020 01:39 PM

Funding will replace outdated mental health dormitories with single en suite rooms.

More than £400 million will be committed over the next 4 years to eradicate dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities across the country to improve the safety, privacy and dignity of patients suffering with mental illness.

The recent (10 October 2020) pledge by the government – to mark World Mental Health Day – builds on the £250 million funding announced in July to remove the outdated dormitories, as part of the government’s record investment in NHS infrastructure.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock also announced the first 21 NHS trusts that will receive funding to replace out-of-date mental health dormitories with single en suite rooms, to help improve care for mental health inpatients across the country.

The eradication of dormitories will improve the individual care that can be given to patients, allowing them to reduce the length of their stay in the facility. It will also have benefits for patient safety including through better infection control and by reducing the risk of incidents involving patients or staff.

This new funding delivers on the government’s commitment to accelerate investment in health infrastructure, and to level up access to mental health services, so that every inpatient can receive treatment in an appropriate setting.

Click here for the full press release