New multi-million pound mental health wards open to patients
New mental healthcare wards at the Rivers Centre in Hellesdon will welcome their first patients next week.
The new Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) mental health facility near Norwich will provide state-of-the-art facilities for adults who need specialist inpatient mental healthcare.
The modern, purpose-built facility will begin receiving patients from the current wards from Monday, 20 January.
The £55 million development involved patients, carers and staff in the planning, and the new site includes therapeutic indoor and outdoor space, as well as world-class artwork through the Hospital Rooms project.
Dr Sophie Bagge, Lived Experience Lead at NSFT has been involved with the new build from the start. She said: “This is a real step forward in inpatient mental health care. The Rivers Centre will make for a much safer and better experience for people who need to spend time in inpatient services and for staff delivering care.”
She said the project was testament to how corporate colleagues, people with lived experience, clinical staff and wider system colleagues had worked collaboratively and with a shared purpose to create something “really special”.
The site includes three new ward buildings, a gym and a community hub, which houses the main reception and café. Each of the bedrooms has space for storage and a private toilet/shower room, plus views outside. In the centre of the wards are outdoor areas with seating and gym equipment. There are also facilities if patients require extra care, together with outdoor space. Sustainability has been a key factor in the development, with electricity supplied from solar panels and heating via air source heat pumps.
The wards will be single gender accommodation to improve safety, dignity and privacy of those being cared for by the Trust who are most unwell, in line with government guidance.
The hope is the new beds will help to reduce the use of out of area and independent sector placements, recognising that people need inpatient care as close to home as possible.
Sophie said increased safety was also paramount. “The extra safety measures, such as alarms on the bedroom doors, gives me the confidence that we are acting on learning, so when anyone comes into hospital they will be and feel safe and supported.”
Original artwork has been created for the centre with patients, local people and renowned artists working together for 15 months under the Hospital Rooms project. Artists have included Turner prize-nominated Mark Titchner, whose work has been installed on the external gym wall.
Caroline Donovan, Chief Executive Officer at NSFT, said the opening of the new wards to patients was an exciting time for the Trust in improving care.
“These new facilities have been co-designed with patients to provide a bespoke, therapeutic environment as we want the best possible outcomes for the people coming into our wards,” she said.
“The Hospital Rooms project has been a big part of this, creating vibrant and thought-provoking art and I’d like to thank the artists, patients and staff who have been involved.”
Hospital Rooms co-founder Tim A Shaw said the project at Hellesdon has been the most ambitious to date.
“We have loved collaborating with the patients, lived experience team, artists and staff to bring beautiful, stimulating and thought-provoking artworks to the walls and grounds of The Rivers Centre. By the spring, we will have installed sculptures, paintings, murals, photography and text-based artworks within all three of the new-build wards and the surrounding areas,” said Tim.
The team has worked closely with Norwich University of the Arts and partnered with local creative organisations to continue creative collaborations. Tim said: “Seeing the 80 square metre painting, 'Like there is hope and I can dream of another world' by Mark Titchner being installed on the outside of the sports hall building was a big moment for the team at Hospital Rooms, and we are really grateful to all the people who made our project with the trust a reality.”
Dr Faisil Sethi, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer at NSFT, said the environment was a cornerstone to reducing restrictive interventions in mental health care and improving outcomes for patients.
And Nicky Shaw, Director of Nursing and Quality in central Norfolk at NSFT, said: “People will be coming into this hospital at the worst time of their lives, and we want to make their stay as therapeutic as possible. The artwork is part of that as it is a real talking point.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
· For more information about the Rivers Centre please visit our website: Frequently asked questions about Hellesdon New Wards | Norfolk and Suffolk NHS
· There will be opportunities to visit the new site, please contact nsft.communciations@nsft.nhs.uk