November 10, 2016 11.49 am This story is over 88 months old

Work on county’s first psychiatric intensive care unit in full swing

Demolition work has begun on the site of the county’s first Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Lincoln, which will help people suffering severe episodes of mental ill health. The first walls are coming down to make way for the new bespoke 10-bedded male unit at the St George’s site near Lincoln County Hospital, with work undertaken by Lincoln-based…
PICU project team start demolition works on site. (L-R) - Chris Ashwell, Divisional Manager for Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services, Tracy Colpitts, new PICU Ward Manager and Martin Vokes, LPFT Business Manager)

Demolition work has begun on the site of the county’s first Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Lincoln, which will help people suffering severe episodes of mental ill health.

The first walls are coming down to make way for the new bespoke 10-bedded male unit at the St George’s site near Lincoln County Hospital, with work undertaken by Lincoln-based building firm R G Carter and Focus Consultants.

PICU project team with contractors R G Carter and Focus Consultants (L-R)- Tracy Colpitts, Ward Manager, Ryan Barnes Contract Manager for builders R G Carter, Focus Consultants senior project manager Andy White, Ian Jerams LPFT Director of Operations and site manager and R G Carter site manager Jon Loades)

PICU project team with contractors R G Carter and Focus Consultants (L-R)- Tracy Colpitts, Ward Manager, Ryan Barnes Contract Manager for builders R G Carter, Focus Consultants senior project manager Andy White, Ian Jerams LPFT Director of Operations and site manager and R G Carter site manager Jon Loades)

The new facility will enable patients to receive treatment closer to home, with many currently travelling out of the county to seek help.

Tracy Colpitts, Ward Manager for the new Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit said: “It’s great to see work now beginning on site and we are excited to see the final ward when completed next year.

“In the meantime the project team and I are busy recruiting the 40 staff needed to deliver such a service, which includes a number of nursing and medical posts, in addition to occupational therapy, healthcare support workers, administration and housekeeping roles.”

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust recently approved the development of the unit to enhance services in the county and provide a whole new level of specialist treatment currently not available on existing adult mental health wards at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre in Lincoln and Ward 12 at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

Naming the unit

As work progresses, the project team are inviting patients, carers and members of the local community to get involved and suggest suitable names for the unit.

Martin Vokes, LPFT Business Manager said: “We are looking for a name that could stand the test of time and are encouraging the public and staff to get involved and suggest suitable names.”

If people have suggestions for a name befitting of such an important project they can send these to [email protected]. The closing date for ideas is November 25 2016.

Building works will continue for the next eight months, in anticipation of an official launch in the summer of 2017.