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The opening of the new Sliabh Mis unit at UHK.
A CEREMONY took place on Friday to mark the official opening of the refurbished Sliabh Mis mental health admission unit (also known as an approved centre) in the University Hospital Kerry.
Minister for Mental Health Jim Daly officially opened the 34-bed unit. Since 2015, Sliabh Mis has undergone a significant phased programme of refurbishment, which has brought about a significant upgrade in accommodation for people in Kerry needing admission to an approved centre.
The €3.7 million programme included upgrading the existing accommodation for inpatients at the Reask and Brandon wards and developing a four-bed high observation unit, called the Brandon Unit.
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The four-bed Brandon Unit was completed as part of phase 1 of the refurbishment. It has been in use since April of last year, following the recruitment of an additional 13 nursing staff.
Head of Mental Health Services with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, Sinead Glennon, said: “The newly refurbished unit represents a significant upgrade in accommodation for service users requiring acute inpatient stay, and will enable the service to meet regulatory compliance in relation to premises. The clinically informed, patient centred design of the unit is intended to reinforce treatment goals and the positive expectations of staff and service users.”
Dr Darra Phelan, Executive Clinical Director with Kerry Mental Health services said: “The unit’s mission is to seek to obtain the optimum level of mental health wellbeing and quality of life for each individual person it serves through the provisions of a high quality, responsive and person centred care. Staff working in the unit work very hard to provide a high level of care and to meet regulatory standards, and the newly-refurbished unit gives us the best possible environment to help us deliver that mission.”
