A hospital ward which is so unpopular with patients that some refuse to stay there will be closed .

Concerns about patient and staff safety on Freshfield Ward 2 at Brighton General Hospital have led to South Downs Health NHS Trust planning to close it down and open two new wards at Mill View Hospital in Nevill Avenue, Hove, in the autumn of 2002.

A trust report highlights problems on the ward which include some detox patients trying to get drugs from other patients, worsening psychotic behaviour due to the ward environment and low staff morale.

The ward, which has 30 beds for mental health patients, does not have single rooms and was criticised by the Mental Health Act Commission for a lack of privacy and dignity for its patients.

It adds: "It has also been observed that several patients have taken their own premature discharge when asked to transfer or on arrival at Freshfield.

"Many acute mental health patients have felt intimidated by opiate detoxification patients trying to manipulate medication from them.

"The patients, relatives, staff, user organisations, Mental Health Act commissioners and Community Health Council all recognise that this facility is wholly inappropriate and non-therapeutic despite the best efforts of staff to deliver an effective service in unacceptable facilities."

The environment of the ward, a former Victorian workhouse, "can exacerbate psychotic behaviour in already disturbed acute patients", according to the report.

The trust has outlined for the future of the ward five options which it will discuss on Thursday.

The preferred option would involve opening two new wards, almost quadrupling the floorspace and providing 35 beds.

Five would be for recovering drug abusers.

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