Help for those with mental health problems has been added to Royal Preston Hospital.

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has brought in the Arkwright Unit.

It offers 24/7 facilities to those needing urgent mental health assessment or who are in crisis.

The unit has six chairs instead of beds and is a ‘short-term safe therapeutic environment’ – as demand for mental health services is increasing.

Service manager at the Arkwright Crisis Support Unit Bev Liddle said: “We are really excited to have opened a new Crisis Support Unit in the Central Lancashire locality.

“There is an increasing demand on mental health services across Lancashire and as part of this we have been working hard to determine what services are needed to people’s mental health needs are met.

“The unit has been designed to provide an alternative to an inpatient admission and waiting in an emergency department or other facilities for unnecessary time periods. Admission of a person in to the Arkwright Unit will be following risk assessment and referral from a mental health professional.

“The unit will then facilitate a further period of stabilisation in a safe environment for those in mental health crisis and will allow our staff to constantly assess and support the service user. The Trust already provides a Crisis Support Unit in East Lancashire which has proved a great success in supporting people’s mental health as an alternative to hospital.”

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The facility will support people over the age of 18 and who are not inpatients. They will be able to stay from four to 23 hours.

Referrals to the Arkwright Unit ade made via telephone, where an over-the-phone triage will be carried out.

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