Bournemouth, Health & Lifestyle | Posted on June 3rd, 2026 | return to news

New Bournemouth unit for severely ill young people

Seastone in Bournemouth will provide 24-hour inpatient care for teenagers aged 13 to 18 with severe and complex needs.

Dorset children and young people in mental health crisis will now be treated at a long-awaited new £17.9m specialist unit.

Dorset HealthCare’s Seastone in Bournemouth will provide 24-hour inpatient care for teenagers aged 13 to 18.

As well as offering the latest facilities and expert support, the eight-bed unit – the first of its kind in the South West – will allow patients to be treated close to friends and family, greatly reducing the need for out-of-area placements, which can hamper the chances of recovery.

The building is funded as part of a £70.6 million investment in Dorset’s mental health services as part of the government’s New Hospital Programme (NHP). Chaddesley House, at St Ann’s Hospital in Poole, opened earlier this month to increase capacity and enhance services for local adults needing intensive treatment.

Dorset HealthCare began planning for a psychiatric intensive care unit at its child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) base in Alumhurst Road more than a decade ago. NHP funding made it possible and, after gaining planning permission from BCP Council, construction work began in 2024.

The unit is purpose-built to meet the needs of young people with needs so complex they can’t be safely managed in the regular CAMHS inpatient facility on the site. They may be at risk of suicide or self-harm, or their behaviour could pose a danger to other patients if placed on an open ward.

Seastone – which was designed by Medical Architecture & Art and built by Kier Construction – will provide eight en-suite bedrooms, seclusion and de-escalation areas, classroom facilities, therapy, sensory and games rooms, a gym, and a space for family visits.

Dorset HealthCare Chief Executive Matthew Bryant joined NHP Strategy Director Darren Crook for the opening ceremony, alongside representatives from the Dorset Mental Health Forum and Kier Construction, plus CAMHS staff.

Local MPs Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole), Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) and Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) also attended the event.

Matthew Bryant said: “Having Seastone means that seriously ill young people can now be cared for locally, close to their family and friends, which will greatly improve their chances of a lasting recovery. The unit looks truly amazing, and it will undoubtedly help a great many people in real need.

“We’re very grateful to young service users and peer specialists from the Dorset Mental Health Forum for their input, the Government’s New Hospital Programme, our developers Kier, and everyone at Dorset HealthCare – everyone has worked so hard in partnership to create this important facility.”

Charlotte Taylor, joint senior responsible officer for the New Hospital Programme, said: “We’re delighted to see the opening of the Alumhurst Road children’s mental health unit as part of the New Hospital Programme, which will provide excellent care and new child and adolescent mental health services for the South West.”

Darren Crook, delivery strategy director for the New Hospital Programme, said: “It was wonderful to be invited to the opening of such outstanding facilities, which will make a huge difference to young lives, families and the wider community. The New Hospital Programme continues to strive to deliver better, faster and with ultimate value for the taxpayer.”

The third and final phase of the local NHP mental health improvements will see extensive refurbishment and modernisation works to support adult inpatients at St Ann’s Hospital, due to be completed over the course of 2027/28.