24 November 2005

Minister announces $1 million for mental health redevelopment

NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos today announced a $995,000 redevelopment of the mental health unit at Albury Base Hospital.

Making the announcement in Albury today Mr Hatzistergos said the Nolan House project would upgrade the service and improve the comfort of both mental health patients and staff.

"This redevelopment is a substantial investment by the NSW Government in the care of mentally ill people in Albury and the surrounding districts," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"The unit can care for 21 acute mental health patients and has a three bed high-dependency unit," he said.

"The tender will be awarded next week with the project expected to commence in the following weeks.

The renovation will consist of the following improvements:

• Significant refurbishment to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) rooms to improve access and monitoring,
• Provision of ensuites in each HDU bedroom,
• Provision of a dedicated seclusion room,
• An expanded secure courtyard,
• Improved staff station layout increasing size, observation and security,
• Enclosing the external gardens and grounds area with a secure fence,
• Improving the entry and exit points with access control systems and surveillance monitoring, and
• Improvements to the air conditioning in the patient areas.

"The project will see major improvements, particularly in the High Dependency Unit, which will provide for a more secure environment for mental health clients and the staff who care for them," Mr Hatzistergos said.

"Nolan House will also be able to provide a more therapeutic environment for clients with a mental illness, leading to better patient outcomes," he said.

"Safety and security of staff, patients and visitors is paramount in modern mental health care and this has been a key element of the refurbishment design.

"Works are expected to commence before Christmas and be completed by June 2006.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au