New Mental Health ICU opens in Sydney's east
A new state-of-the-art mental health Intensive Care Unit has been opened in Sydney’s east and will provide specialist mental health treatment and rehabilitation services to acutely unwell and high-risk patients who have been involved with the criminal justice system.
The new Freshwater Unit, located within the high secure grounds of the Forensic Hospital at Malabar, is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s $700 million State-wide Mental Health Infrastructure Program.
Managed by Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network (Justice Health NSW), the Forensic Hospital provides individualised care for people who have mental illness and have been involved with the criminal justice system, or who are at risk of such contact.
Purpose-built to provide the best possible care through modern clinical programs, the Forensic Hospital at Malabar is comprised of seven different units including:
- Austinmer Women – 17 bed acute unit
- Austinmer Adolescent – Six bed acute unit
- Bronte – 33 bed high dependency and acute unit
- Clovelly – 27 bed extended care unit
- Dee Why – 32 bed long stay unit
- Elouera – 20 bed unit
- Freshwater – Five bed intensive care unit
Justice Health NSW Chief Executive Wendy Hoey said the new Freshwater Unit is the first facility of its kind in NSW, and the second forensic mental health intensive care unit in Australia.
“The new facility has been purpose-built to meet the dynamic needs of our patient population and is designed to complement and enhance existing services within the Forensic Hospital,” Ms Hoey said.
“Ensuring our patients, who have diverse and complex mental health needs, receive the highest quality care will give them the best chance of maintaining their own health and wellbeing when the time comes for them to safely return to the community.
“This is a positive step towards safer, less restrictive models of care, allowing those who are acutely unwell with challenging behaviour to have access to the right support and care.
“The community should have every confidence in the specialist doctors, nurses and allied health clinicians working within the new Freshwater Unit and the entire Forensic Hospital at Malabar, who are dedicated to helping our most vulnerable while also having regard to community safety.”
