The Noarlunga Hospital is to get 24 more mental health beds over the next four years.

The $53.7 million dollar upgrade was announced last night, Sunday 3 July.

It forms part of what the state government is calling a “once-in-a-generation” investment into South Australia’s mental health services.

There are currently 20 beds in the acute psychiatric inpatient Morier Ward at the hospital.

There will also be 24 more mental health beds created at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 24 at Modbury Hospital, 12 additional beds at the new Mount Barker Hospital and 10 more at the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Additionally, the government says it will:

• Double the amount of mental health beds at the Mount Gambier Hospital to a total of 12.

• Create 20 more community hospital in the home beds for mental health ($12.7 million over three years).

• Recruit 100 new mental health and learning support specialists to work at public primary and secondary schools at a cost of $50 million over four years.

• Recruit six more specialist mental health nurses at Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

• Recruit five more child psychiatrists and 10 more child psychologists to be recruited in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

• Provide mental health training for pharmacists to allow them to identity and respond to the early warning signs of mental ill-health.