Cardiff and Vale UHB launch new mental health facility which gives service users ‘dignity and respect’

A brand new purpose-built mental health facility based atUniversity Hospital Llandough,  Hafan yCoed, was opened last week by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.  The new facility aims to provide a modern,therapeutic and recovery-focused environment to adults experiencing mental illness.

Hafan y Coed, which means Haven of Trees, has been inpartnership with service users and staff to provide an inpatient environmentwhich expresses ‘openness, safety, caring and recovery’.

The Welsh Government invested £88 million into the new unitto provide modern, state-of-the-art facilities for people experiencing mentalhealth illnesses. Service users will receive their care in a setting farremoved from what is currently provided in the outdated 108-year-old WhitchurchHospital.

Annie Procter, Clinical Board Director for Mental Healthsaid; “Hafan y Coed is a first class facility which will enable our staff toprovide the care and support that service users deserve when they are unwell.It means that people with a mental health illness will now receive thetreatment they need in a facility which is calming, welcoming and will helpfacilitate their recovery.

Romy Wood a Mental Health Service User from Cardiff said; “Ithink the new facility is fantastic and is an asylum in the best sense of theword.

“Hafan y Coed is a welcoming, friendly environment where youcan see yourself getting better. It feels like people care.”

Professor Mark Drakeford, Minister for Health and SocialServices said; “It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to see the investmentin Hafan Y Coed come to fruition. The design and build of this centre forrehabilitation and recovery is wonderful and I’m sure it will make a realdifference to people who need care within a hospital setting.”

Read more at: http://www.cardiffandvaleuhb.wales.nhs.uk/news/40767