A mental health unit near Southampton which has been dubbed “not fit for purpose” will close within weeks.

NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight will close Crowlin House, in Calmore, and will instead look to deliver mental health crisis services in a way better suited to patients’ needs.

Set to close by the end of March 2025, Crowlin House provides temporary accommodation for mental health patients who have left the hospital but require rehabilitation before living independently.

According to NHS Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, the support offered at Crowlin House no longer represents best practice in supporting people to live independently and closer to their communities.

In June 2023, staff and users launched a campaign to save Crowlin House, which had been deemed “not fit for purpose” by the former Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust—now known as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

In November, NHS Hampshire and the Isle of Wight revealed it was developing alternatives to move away from it being an “institutionalised” place.

A report presented at a Hampshire County Council meeting (November 26) stated that until it closes, work will take place with patients and staff to ensure a safe transition. Currently, there are five patients.

To meet national standards and expand mental health crisis support in the region, the NHS said in its report that a recovery house for people with serious mental illness is recommended for the place.

This type of provision will provide guests with intensive, short-term support to help manage a mental health crisis in a residential setting rather than in a hospital. This would be similar to a site in Winchester known as The Lookout.

It would be a 10-bed recovery house to support people with serious mental illness who are nearing or in a mental health crisis.

According to the NHS, this initiative aims to address local priorities, enhance services, meet national targets, and provide “sustainable services ready for the future”.

The NHS said the focus is on ensuring that mental health care is both “safe” and of “high quality”, catering to the community’s needs.

Chairman of the committee, Cllr Bill Whitters, said: “It is clear that the house is not fit for purpose. The statement that looking at the options for the future and a business case that actually reflects current and future needs is the way ahead.”