.4,13.5.1, A new secure ward for the mentally ill will not take patients until next year - despite being officially opened two weeks ago.

The Somers Annex at St. Brendan's Hospital was declared opened by Health Minister Harry Soares on November 29, but has yet to take its first patients.

Hospital officials say no firm date was set for taking patients and that key staff, dealing with new procedures, are away until the New Year.

However, it is understood the ward has also experienced design problems which had to be corrected.

A door to a seclusion room -- where violent patients are held -- was too narrow and a dormitory on the ward had to be converted into a new seclusion area.

In addition, light fittings, which hung from the ceiling and thereforecould be ripped out, had to be fitted into recesses.

The opening is now scheduled for January 10 -- although sources told The Royal Gazette that patients were originally expected to move in on November 1.

The Somers Annex was upgraded at a cost of about $500,000 to replace the Adams Ward and is built to hold six patients -- instead of the eight housed in Adams.

Yesterday, Miss Kendaree Burgess-Fairn, a spokeswoman for Bermuda Hospitals, said the expected opening of the new ward was January 10.

"There was a problem with a structural error. One of the doors to the seclusion room was too narrow so the use of that room had to be changed. The dormitory was converted into a seclusion room,'' she said.

"The whole ward had to be carefully scrutinised to make sure it was as safe a place and a secure a place as possible.

"One of the things that had to be addressed were the light fixtures which have been moved into the ceiling, instead of sticking out,'' Miss Burgess-Fairn said none of the changes were major.

She said the fact that key personnel were on vacation until the New Year was the reason patients had not been moved into the Annex and no specific date was set for taking patients, although it was hoped it would be soon after the official opening.

"There is a new security system and a few new features on the Somers Annex that need to be explained to the staff,'' added Miss Burgess-Fairn.

A review of the hospital, last April, said re-admissions of acute patients -- the type to be cared for in Somers Annex -- were increasing "indicating that it may not be possible to close old Adams when the new unit is available''.

Miss Burgess-Fairn added: "Right now we are looking to see what will happen with Adams Ward, but should the Somers Annex need extra beds, Adams does have a dormitory to hold the overflow.''