£19m mental health unit proposal

A major upgrade of mental health services is planned

A £19m project to modernise mental health services in Dumfries and Galloway has been unveiled.

The proposal involves the construction of a new acute and rehabilitation centre in Dumfries to open in 2010.

The aim is to replace existing ward accommodation which is said to be outdated and no longer fit for purpose.

The planned development is seen as a vital element of a major upgrade strategy for mental health services across the region.

The proposed facility - earmarked for a site on the town's Bankend Road - would house 75 beds.

New centre

It would include a range of wards, accommodating acute admissions, psychiatric intensive care provision, older adults with mental illness and patients undergoing short or long term rehabilitation.

The new centre would replace six existing wards most of which are at the Crichton site and currently provide more than 100 beds.

The new-build project comes with a price tag £19.3m and annual running costs of more than £2m.

A three and a half month public consultation on the plans is to be launched in December.