Publish date: 24 January 2024
We have taken the very difficult decision to temporarily close the Riverside Adolescent Unit in Bristol run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP). This is a decision taken collaboratively by senior colleagues at AWP and the South West Provider Collaborative supported by NHS England South West. It follows internal reviews which did not provide assurance that the Unit could consistently deliver a safe level of care moving forward.
The temporary closure includes our inpatient beds and day care service within Riverside. No other services are impacted. We expect to reopen the Unit once we are assured that all standards can be sustained consistently.
We recognise and apologise for the disruption this decision may cause our patients, families and our staff but we have a duty to provide safe care at all times. We will be focussed now on working together with our staff and partners to ensure we can reopen the Unit as soon as possible.
For background:
Riverside Adolescent Unit - Run by AWP and provides inpatient care and day patient care for young people who have been under the care of local community teams, but need some additional support. Referrals to Riverside come from community mental health teams, as well as other more specialised units. We work closely with other CAMHS services, adult mental health services, and a range of social care agencies.
South West Provider Collaborative - a partnership of NHS organisations, one community interest company and independent sector organisations, with Devon Partnership NHS Trust as our Lead Provider. We hold delegated authority from NHS England to commission a wide-range of specialised mental health, learning disability and autism services at-scale, including Adult Secure, CAMHS Tier 4 and Adult Eating Disorders, for a population of more than five million people across six Integrated Care Systems. We also facilitate collaborative working amongst our partner members.
