Building work started on 21st August and will continue through to the new year at the CAMHS (children and adolescent mental health services) unit, which is run by Southern Health.
This will see the creation of a new £1.6million ‘day programme’ eating disorder service on the Leigh House site, which would treat up to an additional 60 young people each year.
First of its kind in Hampshire
The service will be the first of its kind in the county (and only one of five in the South East) to offer a high intensity alternative to inpatient care, enabling our staff to treat young people in the community and for them to stay at home with their families.
The existing CAMHS residential ward at Leigh House is also being refurbished to increase the number of available beds for children aged 13-18 years old with acute and severe mental disorders from eight to 10.
A new ‘transitions team’ to support young people to leaving hospital and return home will also be piloted at Leigh House.
The work is being carried out in response to the high level of demand for CAMHS and eating disorder services in particular, both national and locally.