Tenders have gone out for upgrade and refurbishment of ward 10A for acute adult mental health patients, which has been beset with problems over the years.
The tender documents said it was "not fit for purpose", having originally been a nurses’ ward.
"Ward 10A’s physical environment is run down and cramped. It compromises the safety and dignity of tāngata whai ora [patients] and staff.
"While the refurbishment project is not expected to meet the standard of a modern facility, it will improve conditions for the next 5-10 years in the ward while options for all mental health services at Wakari (including ward 10A) are developed."
The tender documents said the refurbishment of the ward would lead to a better environment for the hospital as a whole, due to the planned upgrades of the whanau room, and a new dining room and kitchen.
"The Dunedin Wakari ward 10A refurbishment project will improve the current wards’ physical layout and functioning."
However, the document noted it would be emptied for the period of construction works, and patients and staff would need to co-locate into the other forensic unit at Wakari, ward 9A general adult forensic unit.
"This requires some changes to ward 9A before co-location occurs and this will need to be conducted in a working operational environment."
The tender documents also allude to the fact ward 9A is in need of an upgrade.
Public Service Association organiser Poppy Stowell said it was well known many facilities in mental health were not fit for purpose and it was good to see some investment into improving these spaces.
"One concern though is that refurbishments like 10A are a ‘Band-Aid’ solution, and what is really required is investment in purpose-built modern facilities — especially for long-standing wards.
"Our members’ primary concerns at this stage are that the relocation process needs to be well managed for the safety of everyone. It will be a huge undertaking to implement the temporary relocation safely."
Ms Stowell said there were also concerns about how the work would affect ward 11, which was a rehabilitation ward in the same building.
Ward 10A is an aged 12-bed medium-secure facility that provides treatment and rehabilitation services for people over the age of 18 with an intellectual disability who have been convicted of criminal offences, or who demonstrate behaviours that have been assessed as posing a serious risk to themselves or others.
It came under fire from the Office of the Ombudsman in two separate reports about a decade ago, which outlined the lack of resources for patients and carers, the outdated setting and the lack of solitary space.
Then-chief ombudsman Peter Boshier deemed it a "volatile environment".
Tenders close at the end of September, and it is expected contracted work will begin in November.
New additions
Some of the proposed upgrades to Wakari Hospital’s ward 10A include.—
• An upgraded entry and whānau room.
• Full upgrading of seven bedrooms.
• Upgrading the ICU area of the unit, including the seclusion room.
• Creating an improved staff work area.
• A new sensory modulation room.
• A new dining room and occupational therapy kitchen.
• Upgraded laundry.
• Establishment of a phone room.
— Source: Health New Zealand
