Opening of £7.3m mental health facility expected by first week of May

Friday 15 March 2024

Years of waiting could finally come to an end as Jersey's new acute adult mental health facility is expected to open within the next two months.

Mental Health Director Andy Weir yesterday told the Health Scrutiny Panel that he predicted that mental health services would move into Clinique Pinel in the last week of April or the first week of May.

Work on the new £7.3m facility in St Saviour began in September 2020.

This came after a 2019 report laid bare the inadequate support received by mental health patients in a "dilapidated" and "uninviting" Orchard House.

Pictured: Clinique Pinel will replace Orchard House and provide 26 new en-suite bedrooms and other facilities.

Clinique Pinel was originally due for completion at the end of January 2022, but has since been plagued by delays.

The new facility on the St Saviour's Hospital site is due to have 26 new en-suite bedrooms and eight "overspill bedrooms", as well as a tribunal suite/training facility on the first floor.

The renovated Clinique Pinel is set to include a new suite described as a "place of safety" for islanders detained by the police due to mental health concerns – dubbed the 'Article 36 suite'.

Article 36 of Jersey’s Mental Health Law allows a police officer to remove a person from a public place if the officer believes that the person is suffering from a mental disorder is in immediate need of care or control.

A person who is removed to a place of safety under this Article may be detained for up to 72 hours to decide if any other arrangements are needed for the person’s care or treatment.

Currently, people detained under Article 36 will either be taken to the police station or to the Emergency Department, however the new secure suit at Clinique Pinel has been described as a "place of safety" for islanders in a mental health crisis.

It is planned that a senior nurse will be on duty around-the-clock at Clinique Pinel to supervise this suite.

It comes as local police officers are no longer routinely being sent to mental health incidents unless there is a risk to life or a crime is being committed.

Pictured: Andy Weir, Director of Mental Health and Adult Social Care.

Following years of delays, Mr Weir told the Health Scrutiny Panel yesterday that contractors had handed the refurbished Clinique Pinel back to the Health department, but not without issues – as some work still needed to be done to make the building safe for patients to move in.

"The fire doors weren't correct," Mr Weir explained.

Mental health services received £2.4m in December to "[make] better use of the facilities at Orchard House", and fund increased room capacity and structural work.

However, it was found at the end of 2023 that extra cash was needed to complete the move to Clinique Pinel.

At the start of 2024, Treasury Minister Elaine Millar allocated up to £21,000 to top up the funding for developing a specialist mental health facility.

Commenting on the extra £21,000 funding, the Infrastructure Department said: "Additional funding was provided in December to fund the project, but following the completion of the year-end procedures, a further allocation is required to meet the final project cost."

Mr Weir said: “Unfortunately, the move of Orchard House has been further delayed, and it is now scheduled to move to Clinique Pinel at the end of April.

“The delay is due to additional upgrade works pertaining to a number of existing doors/fire doors and the provision of additional specialist fittings to ensure the ward is as physically safe as possible. Part of the building is presently being occupied by Cedar Ward, where refurbishment has already been successfully completed.”