Eating disorder unit to open at Savernake hospital

1:49pm Wednesday 12th March 2008

By Nigel Kerton

HEALTH chiefs have confirmed that a new unit for people with eating disorders is to open at Savernake Hospital.

It will occupy the currently vacant space where the Farmer Unit that treated dementia patients formerly operated.

The work of the Farmer Unit, also known as the Oak Ward, has now been dispersed to other hospitals and centres around the county.

The closure coincided with the controversial shutting down of the Minor Injuries Unit and the Day Hospital that provided holistic care for elderly people who needed assessment and treatment.

Two weeks ago the Wiltshire Primary Care Trust revealed it was having talks with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust abut opening an eating disorder unit at Savernake.

This week it has been confirmed that the unit is to come to Marlborough and will be modelled on the very successful Cotswold House unit in Oxford.

In a statement this week the OBMH said: "The unit at Savernake Hospital would offer specialist services for people with severe eating disorders in a 12-bed unit as well as outpatient and day patient services.

"This is in response to the continual high need for specialist treatments in the south of England for this serious disorder which affects many young adults."

Julie Waldron, Chief Executive, OBMH, said, "The trust will be working in close partnership with Wiltshire PCT to meet the needs of the local community and the surrounding counties.

"We want to build a service that replicates the success of the unit in Oxford and will be looking to recruit staff from the local area to help us do this."

The services would be offered to clients over the age of 17 1/2 with severe eating disorders who would benefit from specialist treatment, she said.

The service will provide evidence based treatments including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), support for families and a therapeutic group programme.

Wiltshire PCT's Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Therapies, Sally Sandcraft, said, "By providing specialist care for adults with severe eating disorders from Savernake Hospital, the new unit will help ensure there is a wider range of options available to meet the health needs of the people of Wiltshire, as well as surrounding counties. "

OBMH will be working on site over the coming months to prepare the building for the new service which is planned to open in late autumn 2008.