New high dependency rehabilitation unit opens

We’ve officially opened our new high dependency rehabilitation unit in Doncaster, strengthening support for local people with complex mental health needs and ensuring patients receive specialist care with our communities.

The new unit, known as Phoenix, provides care for people from Rotherham, Doncaster, and North Lincolnshire. The service offers a therapeutic environment which reduces the impact of trauma for people who require more structured and intensive support than is available in community settings or more traditional standard inpatient wards. It is a time limited rehabilitation service and is the first such bed-based rehab unit in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, complementing the community rehabilitation specialist service in Scunthorpe, which the trust started in 2025.

Phoenix is staffed by an experienced multidisciplinary team, bringing together mental health nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, peer support expertise, and psychologists, together with healthcare support workers.

Toby Lewis, Chief Executive, said:

“This new ward, Phoenix, which serves Rotherham, Doncaster, and North Lincolnshire, is a fantastic alternative to the private sector provision miles from home that is the main alternative for our patients.

“Working to support community-based rehabilitation is a key part of our work as a trust, alongside local authorities, the voluntary sector and the home networks, friends, and family of our patients.

“We are delighted to have Phoenix opened less than a year from approval and we are committed to working to make it a huge success in the years ahead.”

The opening of Phoenix marks a significant development in the region’s mental health provision, expanding local capacity and helping to ensure that people can receive specialist care closer to home.

Referrals into the service can be made from medical professionals in mental health inpatient wards, forensic mental health services, open rehabilitation wards, and community mental health teams. To know more please email rdash.hdru-phoenix@nhs.net.

Published: March 12, 2026