A purpose-built 24-bed mental health rehabilitation service has opened in Adelaide’s west, marking the first of three new specialist units being rolled out across the city. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) facility on Woodville Road will begin admitting patients this week, offering a home-like environment designed to support recovery and help ease pressure on emergency departments.
The unit is part of a wider expansion at the QEH, with the Malinauskas Government delivering 140 additional beds in just 18 months, a 40 per cent increase. Similar 24-bed mental health services at Noarlunga and Modbury are due to open in the coming months.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the initiative represented a major shift in mental health care. “This is an historic milestone for mental health care in South Australia, as we deliver a generational uplift in our mental health bed capacity. This brand-new 24-bed QEH mental health service is the first of three specialist mental health rehabilitation units that we are opening across Adelaide. They will deliver better care to mental health patients and help take pressure off our busy emergency departments.”
Health Minister Chris Picton said the new approach was designed to better support patients after acute care. “The Malinauskas Labor Government is strongly committed to improving mental health care in South Australia. That’s why we committed to opening three 24-bed specialist mental health rehabilitation services across Adelaide. It’s fantastic to have the first one of those now open, in Adelaide’s west. It will take pressure off the nearby QEH and importantly will be a much better home-like environment for mental health patients. This service is the latest addition in a massive expansion of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by our Government – we’re adding 140 extra beds over 18 months.”
CALHN Executive Director of Mental Health, Dr Paul Furst, said the design reflected consumer needs. “This Mental Health Rehabilitation Service represents a new model for caring for consumers who need more time for recovery and assistance to safely return to the community. The contribution of mental health consumers to the design of the physical setting and of the service delivery cannot be underestimated. With a setting designed to be home-like and promoting the continuation of life skills, we anticipate successful outcomes and the avoidance acute deterioration in mental health and the need for crisis care.”
CALHN Chief Executive Officer, Dr Emma McCahon, said the collaboration between clinicians and consumers shaped the new facility. “Every part of this new Mental Health Rehabilitation Service has been co-designed with consumers and clinicians to ensure that consumers have access to safe and connected care in a purpose built space, designed for recovery. Between hospital and community, the Mental Health Rehabilitation Service will be a valuable addition to support consumer recovery.”
Each of the single rooms at the QEH service has a private ensuite and access to outdoor, therapy and recreation areas. The phased rollout will see 12 patients admitted initially, with up to 100 people expected to use the service each year, staying between four and 12 weeks on average.
The unit follows the opening of 26 new medical and surgical beds at the hospital last month, with another 10 surgical beds to be added before the end of the year.
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