A NEW multi-million-pound eating disorders unit has been unveiled in Poole.

Dorset HealthCare staff cut the ribbon to the newly completed eating disorder unit at St Ann’s Hospital on Wednesday, March 22.

The two-storey building, known as Kimmeridge Court, provides ten beds with en suite bathrooms for inpatients, alongside communal areas, rooms for classes and an outside courtyard.

It is also set to offer day care treatment slots as an alternative to inpatient, to support earlier discharge to community care.

Bournemouth Echo: Kimmeridge CourtKimmeridge Court (Image: Newsquest)

Jess Griffiths, who works as an eating disorder therapist in the area, said she cried when the £8 million development was first unveiled.

She told the Daily Echo: “It’s so vast and there’s so many more rooms and facilities. It will make such a difference.

“I had seen all the plans but seeing it come to life is different.”

Kimmeridge Court will replace the existing eating disorder unit at St Ann’s which has only six beds.

Patients are expected to be moved to the new unit next month, with the old building due to be demolished at a later date.

Bournemouth Echo: Outdoor courtyardOutdoor courtyard (Image: NQ)

Dawn Dawson, acting chief executive at Dorset HealthCare, said: “The other unit we have at the moment doesn’t have the ensuite bathrooms and it doesn’t have the space.

“This will allow us to provide care in the very very best environment for people to get better.

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done here. It’s a result of lots of people coming together.”

Currently St Ann’s is the only site in Dorset to have a unit dedicated to treating eating disorders.

Bournemouth Echo: Communal areasCommunal areas (Image: NQ)

Speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony, retired consultant nurse for eating disorders at the Trust, Doctor Ciaran Newell, said the demand for eating disorder services had “gone through the roof”.

He said the arrival of Kimmeridge Court will increase the capacity for inpatients, and give more people the option for local care, instead of being sent far away for specialist treatment.

Also at the ceremony was chief medical officer Doctor Faisil Sethi, who said he felt “very proud” of the development. 

He said: “This is not just about eating disorders, it’s the whole system. This is about how we treat mental health in general.”