November 12, 2024

Decision reached on changes to older people’s mental health inpatient services in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield

Thank you to everyone who gave their views as part of the older people’s mental health inpatient services consultation.

The consultation was run by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and looked at proposals to create specialist inpatient wards for people living with dementia and dedicated inpatient wards for other older people’s mental health needs (known as ‘functional mental health needs’) in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

The public consultation closed in March 2024 and heard from more than 1,500 people on where specialist wards in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield could be located.

A decision has been reached to have a dedicated inpatient dementia service at Ward 19, Dewsbury and District Hospital, with inpatient wards for other mental health needs in Calderdale and Wakefield.

The local NHS looked at all the responses along with an independent review of the findings which also included information on equality. We also worked with other NHS organisations, councils and voluntary and community services to reach the decision which was made on 11 November 2024 at a joint NHS West Yorkshire ICB committee of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

From winter 2025/early 2026, people living with dementia will be cared for on a specialist ward at Ward 19, Priestley Unit, Dewsbury and District Hospital. There will be two separate male and female wards, both with 15 beds (30 beds in total).

Dedicated wards for other mental health needs will be at Crofton Ward, Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefield which will have two separate male and female wards with 26 beds in total, and one ward at Beechdale Ward, The Dales, Calderdale Royal Hospital which will have 16 beds.

Professor Subha Thiyagesh, chief medical officer and clinical lead for older people, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to give their views as part of this consultation, your feedback was extremely important in helping us reach this decision.

“Throughout the consultation we heard from people about how these changes will make a positive difference to our patients, families, carers, loved ones and our staff. These wards will give people the specialist care they need in a supportive and dedicated environment which is important in improving wellbeing, experience and quality of life. It also means that the service we have will be fit for purpose for years to come.

“There will be no immediate changes to the care of our patients as there is some building work that we expect will take around 12 to 18 months to complete. We will be keeping our patients, families, carers and loved ones updated as we move to our dedicated wards.”

For more information about the public consultation, and how a decision was reached, people can visit the consultation website: www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/opsconsultation. If you do not have access to the internet, you can use the freephone number 0800 587 2108, and someone will be in touch to help you, or you can email opsconsultation@swyt.nhs.uk

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