- The 40-bed facility is designed for patients with severe and complex mental health disorders.
- Construction of the Secure Mental Health facility follows a $122.7 million investment.
- The facility is expected to open early 2025.
Queensland Minister for Health, Mental Health, and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman has been given the first look of prototype rooms for the $122.7 million Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (SMHRU) facility under construction at the Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) campus.
The prototype rooms provide a preview of the SMHRU facility, a 40-bed, two-storey purpose-designed facility with an undercroft and linkway to the existing Mental Health (F Block) building.
The new facility will provide a home-like environment for patients with severe and complex mental health disorders, boosting the number of mental health rehabilitation places in South East Queensland.
A number of stakeholders, clinicians and those with lived experience have been involved with the construction of the facility, to ensure the units are fit-for purpose, with future consumers front of mind.
The facility is due for completion later this year and planned to be operational early 2025.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman:
"I'm so proud to be part of a government that recognises and is committed to making mental health and well-being a priority.
"Investment in mental health is not only about infrastructure, but also about strengthening our communities, and we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of dignity, which starts with ensuring access to world-class mental health care facilities and services.
"I have listened to the needs of patients and healthcare workers when it comes to best practices and through offering compassionate and patient-centred care we can make significant strides towards eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness.
"We need to continue taking significant steps to work towards a society where mental health is not hidden but acknowledged, understood and treated."
Quotes attributable to the Clinical Director of Mental Health and Specialist Services (MHSS) at Gold Coast Health Dr Sandeep Chand:
"Our aim is to offer a safe space for individuals living with mental illness to rest, recover, and rehabilitate over an extended period, longer than a typical hospital stay. We've worked closely with our lived experience team to create a therapeutic environment that feels like home.
"These rooms are purposefully designed to keep consumers experiencing mental illness safe while helping patients achieve self-sustaining outcomes. By fostering an environment that enhances life skills, we're equipping our patients with tools to build resilience for when they return to their everyday lives.
"We've designed our rooms to maximise natural light and include secure outdoor spaces, contributing to a truly healthy setting for our patients. To ensure the rooms are built with the end-user in mind, we're using the prototype rooms as an opportunity to seek further input from our lived experience team who understand first-hand the role of the environment when people are at their most vulnerable.
"Our lived experience staff will remain involved once the facility is operational, providing support and advocacy for patients living with complex mental health issues."
Quotes attributable to the Executive Director, Strategy, Transformation and Major Capital Sandip Kumar:
"The Gold Coast has been experiencing significant population growth, with projections indicating a continued increase. With this growth comes a greater need for comprehensive and accessible mental health services. The new Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit is a major step in ensuring our mental health infrastructure keeps pace with this demand.
"Our current mental health facilities serve a critical role, but as the population grows, so does the spectrum of mental health needs. The 40-bed SMHRU is designed to cater to individuals with severe and complex mental health disorders, enhancing our capacity to deliver specialised care.
"Mental ill health and substance misuse were identified as the key concern in our most recent Gold Coast Local Needs Assessment Report, accounting for a large proportion of health care demand right across the health care system.
"One in 12 Gold Coasters reported a mental health condition, but primary care data estimates are much higher with psychological conditions accounting for 13.3 per cent of primary care visits. Psychology and GP mental health visits on the Gold Coast are above national average and mental health rates are rising for young people and adults."
