Hope Unit - temporary closure in January 2022

From 4 January to 17 January 2022 (13 days), we are temporarily closing Hope Unit (12-bed children and adolescent mental health ward at Fairfield Hospital in Bury) to complete urgent and essential repairs to the ceiling.

We have carefully chosen this period of time as in previous years there is often a reduction in demand for hospital beds during and following the festive period.

We remain focused on ensuring all young people receive support they need before, during and after the closure.

What this means to our young people currently on the ward

For young people who are ready for discharge, we will be working to discharge them before 4 January 2022. We will be working closely with partners to ensure no young person’s discharge from hospital is delayed and community support plans are available when needed.

For those young people who need to remain on the ward, we will support them to move across to our Horizon Unit (a 10-bed unit located on the same site) or another hospital ward.

How we will manage new referrals

The Greater Manchester Assessment and Inreach Centre (GMAIC) will continue to take referrals and work closely with all young people and families to help them understand our plans and the options available to them.

We will continue to review new admission requests and will discuss each individual case with families to find the best option. This could include transfer to another hospital while we’re closed, or admission to another hospital to avoid disruption in their care during their treatment.

An advisory panel is also in place to make sure clinical decision making is in the best interests of young people and their families.

We are also working closely with Greater Manchester child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) lead provider collaborative to ensure all bed availability is used flexibly.

How our staff on Hope unit will support

Our staff from the Hope unit will be deployed into GMAIC and our CAMHS home intensive treatment team which will help to strengthen alternatives to admission, where appropriate and safe to do so.

They will also support with care at Horizon Unit and care for those young people who may be admitted to another hospital during this time.

Please contact us if you need any more information.