Major mental health facility upgraded at Palmerston North

The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility.

The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital.

The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in Waikato last month and Tairāwhiti in June.

"For too long mental health and addiction have been neglected, but as a government, we've made improving services a priority since day one. That must include better facilities that support people's treatment and recovery," Jacinda Ardern said.

"When I visit mental health services I'm always impressed with the compassion and professionalism of the staff, but too often I hear that their work is made harder because of the rundown state of facilities. We're getting on with the job of fixing that.

"The current mental health facility at Palmerston North Hospital has opened almost 20 years ago. The way we care for people has come a long way since then, and we need facilities that reflect modern best practices.

"The upgraded facility will address the existing lack of space and privacy that compromises the safety and security of staff and patients.

"It will create a far more supportive environment which will better support people to return home sooner. There will be more shared spaces for family members, an increase in the number of beds and flexibility for further growth in the future," Jacinda Ardern said.

Funding for the project comes from the $1.7 billion dollars invested in Budget 2019 for upgrading and building new hospitals and health facilities across the country.

"Upgrading our hospitals and mental health facilities is a huge undertaking that will take time, but we're making progress," David Clark said.

"It's important these facilities create a safe and supportive environment that makes it easy to deliver quality care in a culturally appropriate way.

"So it's great to know that the DHB is working with the people who use these services, whānau, local iwi and service providers on the design.

"Today's announcement gives the DHB confidence to push ahead with this work, noting that funding remains subject to the full business case being approved," Dr. Clark said.

The business case for the upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-2020. Following the design phase, the project will go out for tender, with construction expected to take about two and a half years.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)