Welcome to the newly opened Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Downshire Hospital in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Kingsway Group were proud to be a part of this state-of-the-art new build project, helping our partner South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust deliver a modern facility serving the local area.
The unit is designed to provide the highest level of care for individuals struggling with mental health issues, as well as providing short-term care and treatment for patients who are in the most acute phase of their illness.
Kingsway Group worked in close collaboration with South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust to identify the specific requirements of the new build PICU before deciding on the correct solutions to implement throughout the unit.
To help reduce risk and improve service user safety across the six bedroom doors, the Trust selected Kingsway’s SENTRY Complete Door Systems with full door edge ligature alarms. The SENTRY doors were selected for their ability to monitor and alert staff to ligature attempts against any of the door edges, whilst SENTRY’s anti-barricade capabilities were sought to provide staff with a swift and safe means of gaining entry to service user bedrooms during barricading incidents.
The installation of SENTRY at the Downshire PICU marked the first time South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust had incorporated ligature alarmed doors into their risk management strategy.
To provide staff with a safe observation means, Duralux Secure Privacy Vision Panels were fitted to the SENTRY bedroom doors. The highly durable and robust Duralux panels were fitted with a thumb turn to the service user side to allow free use and the option to retain privacy outside of staff observations.
Other de-risking solutions implemented at the PICU included Kingsway’s SHOWER Complete Door Systems, selected to reduce risk in the bedroom ensuite areas whilst helping service users to safely maintain privacy when using the ensuite facilities.
In addition to the bedrooms, the bright and spacious PICU facilities include an ‘extra care suite’ which provides outdoor space to promote wellbeing, a large occupational therapy area for activities and assessments, and a communal area for socialising and relaxing. To help reduce risk throughout these spaces, a number of Kingsway’s solutions were implemented, including SOLO Single Action Door Systems and SWITCH Anti-Barricade Door Systems with clear-glazed Pyrolux Secure Vision Panels.
Whilst extensive consideration was given to the specific needs of the facility’s service users, the staffs’ needs also played a big role in the projects design. Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, who recently visited the PICU and was impressed with the new facility explained how “it is so important that staff have a nice working environment. The work they undertake is challenging, helping those who are vulnerable. It also needs to be appropriate for the work they are undertaking. Staff need to have space that they can use to take some time out and this wonderful working environment provides just that. It is the staff helping patients recover, so the environment is an important part of this too.”
Director of Adult Services and Prison Healthcare, Rachel Gibbs stated, “The transformation of our new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit signifies an exciting and important step forward in our determination to deliver person centred, high quality care in an environment that promotes wellbeing and recovery.”
It is hoped that patients who are admitted to the new unit will benefit greatly from the new surroundings and have a positive experience that will help them on their recovery journey.
To see more projects that we’ve helped improve safety within, visit our case studies page. To find out more about how we can help your facility or project, reach out to us here and we’ll be glad to speak with you.
