THE cost of caring for more East Suffolk mental health patients in the community instead of hospital wards, is being investigated by Suffolk Health.The health authority has a plan to modernise the service, by creating less restricting environments away from hospitals, which it will discuss when it meets today .
By Tracey Sparling
THE cost of caring for more East Suffolk mental health patients in the community instead of hospital wards, is being investigated by Suffolk Health.
The health authority has a plan to modernise the service, by creating less restricting environments away from hospitals, which it will discuss when it meets today .
Small purpose-built units to house six to eight people for a short period, and six mental health resource centres for older people are planned for East Suffolk if a bid for funding is successful.
Both ideas are designed to save people going into hospital, and will be backed by more support for carers and more trained staff.
There will also be specialist in-patient beds at Ipswich Hospital and at St Clements' Hospital in the town.
The plan will cost £19.9m to set up, and an extra £2.9m to run from St Clement's.
Most of the cost is for staff, and the new system could be operating by August 2005.
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