A CEREMONY to celebrate construction of a new multi-million-pound eating disorders unit has been held in Poole.

A new two-storey building at St. Ann’s Hospital will be able to accommodate ten inpatients for 24/7 care in a development described as “crucial”.

The current eating disorder unit at the hospital currently houses just six inpatients and the new building will reduce the need for out-of-area treatments.

In addition, the unit will also offer day care treatment slots as an alternative to inpatient, to support earlier discharge to community care.

Dorset HealthCare is increasing its capacity to support patients through the £8 million development, which is due to be completed in 2023.

The building will house communal areas as well as space for art classes and other treatments.

Representatives from the Trust were joined at the ‘spade in the ground’ event by developers Kier Construction, Medical Architecture and Gleeds Management Services.

Dr Ciarán Newell, consultant nurse for eating disorders at the Trust, said: “This is going to be a state-of-the-art specialist service for people who have quite severe forms of eating disorders and require in-patient admissions for their own safety.

“Our approach has got to be holistic because eating disorders are an illness that affect people not only physically but mentally as well.

“This is really about helping the person readjust to being a healthy weight and developing a normal relationship with food whilst addressing whatever issues that made them vulnerable and lead to the illness.

“One of the aims of this unit is going to be to reintroduce people back into their community as soon as possible. I’m really grateful for the opportunity that this development will give the area to become one of the leading areas in the country to deliver the complete eating disorder pathway.

“Dorset is going to be ahead of the game.”

Also at the ceremony was Dorset HealthCare chief executive Eugine Yafele who was applauded as he said a few words and thanked the dozens in attendance.

Afterwards, he told the Daily Echo: “This is a really important moment in terms of developing these crucial services for the local population.

“We currently have a unit for eating disorders on site but this is in a building that is not fit for purpose.

“One of the things that we’ve seen during the pandemic is a lot more people who are coming to our local hospitals with an eating disorder. A lot of these are younger people.

“This may not be a treatment that people hear about often but it’s absolutely essential and can be a lifeline for people who need it.

“The current building forms part of our master plan for this site as this is our principal mental health unit in the county. Essentially, once we have competed this building, we have plans for the other side to increase the number of acute in-patient mental health beds that we have.

“I am extremely grateful to BCP Council planners for recognising the importance of this development and giving us the go-ahead.”

In terms of completion for the entire redevelopment, Mr Yafele said: “All things considered with a fair wind and every other caveat in the book, by 2025 to 2026 we should be finished.”