Ontario adds 24 hospital beds for mental health in London

London Health Sciences Centre is getting an additional 24hospital beds in order to reduce wait times for mental healthcare and help ease patients' transition out of hospital.

The Thursday announcement in London is part of a wider provincial announcement made earlier in the week, where the Ontario government committed to providing an additional 2,000 spaces provincewide for patients transitioning out of hospital.

London will receive a total of 48 hospital beds, with 24 beds for acute care and another 24 for mental healthcare.

"London Health Sciences and this city has been doing a great job at managing some real challenges at mental health and serving the people," John Fraser, the Liberal MPPfor London South and the parliamentary secretary to the minister of health told CBC News Thursday.

"The mental health beds in the hospital, that's going to relieve some of the pressure that's there."

A news release from the province said the spaces in London will help about 100 people who need "additional short-term, mental health and addictions support and housing transition from hospital to home."

"Patients who benefit from this project will receive care from a team that includes a nurse coordinator, social worker and recreational therapist," the news release said.