Older people’s mental health inpatient services consultation

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Give your views about proposals to create a specialist inpatient service for older people with dementia, and dedicated wards for older people living with other mental health needs.

The local NHS has launched a consultation on improving mental health care for older people on inpatient wards across Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

The consultation asks people to share their views about creating specialist inpatient wards for older people with dementia, and dedicated wards for older people living with other mental health needs such as anxiety, depression or psychosis, which are known as ‘functional mental health needs’.

Please note, there are two drop in-events taking place in Calderdale:

  1. Tuesday 16th January, Halifax Town Hall, HX1 1UJ, 2-7pm
  2. Wednesday 24 January, Hebden Bridge Town Hall, HX7 7BY, 2-7pm

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board are working together on the consultation.

At the moment, local older people’s mental health inpatient wards care for mixed needs. This means people living with dementia or a functional mental health need, share the same ward space. This does not give the best possible care or support the wellbeing of patients.

Creating separate wards for people with dementia, and those with functional mental health needs, will help give the right care in the right environment. The investment into services will give patients evidence-based, high-quality care and support on all our local older people’s inpatient mental health wards.

At the moment there are older people’s mental health inpatient wards based in The Dales at Calderdale Royal Hospital, Priestley Unit at Dewsbury and District Hospital, Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield, and The Poplars in Hemsworth.

The proposals are to create a specialist dementia ward at either the Priestley Unit, Dewsbury and District Hospital or at Fieldhead Hospital in Wakefield. Patients living with a functional mental health need would be cared for in a dedicated ward at the other main hospital locations. The proposals do not include The Poplars in Hemsworth which is no longer a suitable older people’s mental health inpatient ward.

This consultation is important for people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. In particular, people who are living with dementia, or a functional mental health need, their families, carers, loved ones and health and care staff.

You can find out more about the consultation on the website including how to give your views using the online survey, and information about drop in events and online meetings.

The consultation will be open for 12 weeks until 29 March 2024. Once the consultation closes all the feedback received will help the local NHS make an informed decision.

The following video explains what the consultation is all about, why it matters and the difference it can make.