Multi-million pound improvement plans showcased during MP visit | News and events

Multi-million pound plans to further improve safety and quality for patients receiving care from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) have come under the spotlight during a visit by a local MP.

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, visited Hellesdon Hospital today (Friday, 10 January) to meet NSFT Chief Executive Jonathan Warren and hear more about proposals to develop state-of-the-art new facilities over the coming four years.

It comes after the Trust was awarded £38m in Government funding, which it plans to use for a modern, purpose-built unit to which four of its existing, outdated wards will relocate. A fifth, brand new 16-bedded ward will also be created so that NSFT can increase its capacity, in turn reducing the number of patients travelling outside of the area for treatment.

In total, the five wards will provide 80 beds – 15 more than are currently available at Hellesdon.

During today's visit, Ms Smith learnt more about the plans, which could include a gym, outside spaces, therapy areas and a multi-use games area, before touring meadowland below the site's existing lower plateau, where it is likely that the development would be built.

Ms Smith said: "I'm delighted to see the real commitment to mental health that the Government is making and that, locally, we will benefit from the Conservative Government's NHS long-term plan. Ensuring local NHS services have the resources they need is one of my key priorities and I will continue to fight for this."

Mr Warren said: "We are really excited about this fantastic project and were pleased to welcome Ms Smith to Hellesdon so that we could explain more about the improvements it will bring.

"Although our plans are still at a very early stage, we are confident that this project will make a real difference to our service users and carers by significantly improving the environment in which they receive care, in turn leading to better clinical outcomes.

"We are committed to fully involving local people as we develop these proposals further so that we can make the very best use of this opportunity and ensure it brings the greatest benefits to local people. We are keen to hear from service users or carers who would like to get involved with this work so that we can ensure the voices of the people who use our services are heard throughout this major project."

NSFT is inviting service users or carers who have used its inpatient wards within the last five years and would like to express an interest in joining the communications and engagement workstream to email: hellesdonnewwards@nsft.nhs.uk.

To find out more about the project, visit: nsft.uk/hellesdonnewwards