Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

Psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) are inpatient psychiatric wards that provide mental health care and treatment of patients with acute and enduring mental health issues.

Providing male and female PICU wards in both Essex and Northampton - conveniently located and easily accessible on major transport routes - we take patients from across the country.

All of our PICU’s are members of NAPICU and we abide by the NAPICU minimum standards and admission criteria.

Heygate - Male PICU Northampton - 01604 616 111

Bayley - Female PICU Northampton - 01604 614 584

Audley - Male PICU Essex - 01268 723 930

Frinton - Female PICU Essex - 01268 723 860

Our PICU services provide tailored treatment programs that are developed to recognise each individual’s strengths, needs and risks, with specific emphasis on treating mental illness and starting the recovery process.

They are gender specific and therefore accept either male or female patients who:

• are aged 18-65 years
• are suffering from an acute mental illness or an exacerbation of a chronic mental illness
• may be displaying challenging behaviours as a result of a mental illness
• demonstrate significant risk, including aggression to self and others, absconding and / or vulnerability
• require relatively short-term intensive care in a safe environment
• have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007)

We also offer a Rapid Response service for older adults in crisis to provide urgent stabilisation and intensive therapy in a safe environment (see below for more details).

 Since 1 February 2019, the Male and Female PICU in Northampton have been trialling body ward cameras on nurses. For further information please contact the Operational Lead, Dean Robinson, by emailing [email protected]