Australia's Queensland Government has released the first look at prototype rooms for the Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) campus’ mental health facility.
The A$122.7m ($79.13m), 40-bed Secure Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (SMHRU) facility is under construction at the hospital campus.
These prototype rooms provide a preview of the two-storey purpose-designed SMHRU facility which will be linked to the existing mental health building.
Gold Coast Health Mental Health and Specialist Services clinical director Dr Sandeep Chand said: “Our aim is to offer a safe space for individuals living with mental illness to rest, recover, and rehabilitate over an extended period, longer than a typical hospital stay.
“These rooms are purposefully designed to keep consumers experiencing mental illness safe while helping patients achieve self-sustaining outcomes.
“To ensure the rooms are built with the end-user in mind, we’re using the prototype rooms as an opportunity to seek further input from our lived experience team who understand first-hand the role of the environment when people are at their most vulnerable.”
Designed to serve patients with complex and severe mental health disorders, the facility will provide a home-like environment and is slated for opening in 2025.
It will increase the number of mental health rehabilitation places in South East Queensland.
Construction of the facility involves clinicians, stakeholders, and those with lived experience to ensure the units are fit for purpose.