Island Health eyes new youth mental health floor at Royal Jubilee Hospital

Island Health says it’s in the early stages of planning a new mental health floor for youth in Royal Jubilee Hospital’s Eric Martin Pavilion.

“Extensive planning has taken place to enhance care for children and youth with severe and acute mental health needs on Vancouver Island with a new dedicated inpatient crisis stabilization child/youth mental health and substance use unit,” said Andrew Leyne, a spokesperson for Island Health. “These are very early days and there is significant consultation and planning that needs to occur before this moves ahead.”

Leyne says it would effectively move the Ledger program, now located on the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health campus, to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.

The Ledger Program currently offers in-patient hospital based psychiatric services for youth ages six to 16 years.

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“Ledger has not restored its waitlist since the pandemic, and despite having sufficient staffing, they routinely leave a majority of inpatient beds empty,” a verified Island Health employee who doesn’t want to be identified told CHEK News.

Island Health initially said they didn’t have waitlist details on hand and would need to check on them, but reiterated the idea is in the early stages of planning.

B.C’s Mental Health Critic, Claire Rattée has concerns about what this means for vulnerable kids.

“It’s frustrating to think that would be even acceptable to house children with adults with psychiatric needs,” said Ratee. “That’s unacceptable. That could put children at risk.”

Island Health confirmed to CHEK News the new floor would replace the Ledger program, but says there are no plans to mix adult and youth patients on the same unit. They would be on separate floors.

The change would bring over beds for acute youth inpatients from Queen Alexandra to Royal Jubilee.

“If this went ahead, current day programs and rehab programs at Queen Alexandra would continue,” said Leyne.

Queen Alexandra was built with a playground, basketball court, beach access, a school on site, with occupational therapy, even a pottery room, with small home-like units with kitchens and living rooms.

It will, according to Island Health, continue to offer a wide range of health care and support services for children up to 19 years with developmental delays and functional conditions.

Island Health say a report including the costs on the new youth mental health floor at Royal Jubilee is expected some time by late summer or early fall.