Bristol Riverside Adolescent mental health unit temporarily closed after review

Inpatient beds and the day service have been closed at the Riverside Adolescent Unit

Parts of an adolescent mental health unit has been temporarily closed after it was found its standard of care needed to be improved.

An internal review revealed Riverside Adolescent Unit in Bristol could not "give assurance" it could "consistently deliver a safe level of care".

The unit's inpatient beds and day service were then closed on Wednesday.

Health officials apologised and said they were supporting patients, families and staff.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), which runs the site, said the decision was taken collaboratively by senior AWP colleagues and the South West Provider Collaborative supported by NHS England South West.

A spokesperson said they expected to reopen the unit "once we are assured that all standards can be sustained consistently".

"Our focus is now on supporting the small number of young people who were patients at Riverside and working with them and their families to ensure their individual care needs are met and that transfers to other services are as smooth as possible," they said.

"Individual reviews with young people, their families, carers and the clinical team have focussed on the best place for each person.

"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 expect to reopen the Unit once we are assured that all standards can be sustained consistently."