A mental health ward has temporarily stopped taking on new patients following safety concerns.
Samphire ward at Chatterton House in Lynn has paused admissions to its 16-bed centre on “quality and safety grounds” and “fire safety compliance concerns”.
A patient at Chatterton House, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Lynn News the ward has been closed for around three months.
Samphire Ward at Chatterton House in Lynn is not taking on new patients. Picture: Google Maps
A spokesperson for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that Chatterton House remains “operational” while fire safety works are being investigated.
Officials said that the trust is currently completing a review of beds across the trust as part of its “ongoing improvement programme”, with Samphire ward set to be considered as part of “this broader review”.
During this temporary pause in admissions to Samphire, patients needing a bed at a mental health hospital will be admitted to other wards, with the nearest being near Norwich.
Gary O’Hare, chief operating officer at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “All services at Chatterton House in Lynn remain operational.
“We have temporarily paused admissions to Samphire ward, a 16-bed acute mental health ward at Chatterton House, on quality and safety grounds as well as fire safety compliance concerns.”
Samphire ward opened at Chatterton House in 2019, after a £4 million project to centralise adult acute mental health services in Lynn, which saw teams transferred from the Fermoy unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
“Patient and staff safety is our highest priority. This pause gives us an important opportunity to fully investigate the required fire safety works, strengthen staff development and training, and to review our models of care to ensure they meet the needs of our local population,” Mr O’Hare added.
“During this interim period, patients who need a mental health admission will be admitted to other appropriate wards across our trust.”