THE dementia ward at St Mary’s Hospital is ‘far from acceptable’ and could be replaced by a bespoke facility built by a housing association.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors slated the ward during last year’s visit and issued a Section 31 notice, meaning the trust had to make urgent changes as people were considered to be at risk of harm.
Bosses put temporary measures in place and are now working on plans to build a new facility to better meet the needs of patients.
The NHS Trust could work with a housing association to build the bespoke unit, with access to gardens, and board members described this as their preferred option.
Other options include sending dementia patients to the mainland for specialist care, or looking after them on the Island using independent service providers.
Shackleton ward was launched in 2013 and saw five patients with severe dementia moved from Shackleton House, Ryde, to the hospital ward.
Kevin Bond, the new director of mental health, said at a board meeting last week, said: “It is inappropriate for care in the long term and is far from acceptable as an assessment area for dementia.
“The long-term solution will take at least two years, so we’re working on a temporary solution in the meantime.”
Eve Richardson, chairman of the board, said: “I think we are missing a trick if we don’t look at involving the housing association.
“The NHS isn’t always good at this and both us and the council have got land, so we should be very creative around this.”