Closure of this inpatient unit would be a Setback for Sustainable and Future-Oriented Mental Health Services.

We demand that Vestre Viken halts the closure of the Basal Exposiure (BET) mental health inpatient treatment unit at Blakstad Hospital. Closing these beds would be contrary to international requirements and guidelines for developing services based on human rights, recovery, and humanism. The BET unit is highlighted by WHO, the Council of Europe, and the UN as an example of the future of mental health services, demonstrating how to achieve good results through increased voluntariness and reduced use of coercion and medication. This approach addresses many of the challenges we face in the field of mental health today. Closing the unit at Blakstad Hospital would be a significant setback for mental health services in Norway.