Guernsey’s new £24m Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre officially opened its doors to patients at the end of 2015.
The new centre, situated alongside the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, will relocate all mental health services on the island under one roof.
Projected managed by construction consultants, Gleeds, since 2012, the 22-bed centre has been built to improve the quality of service and patient care. Offering new and bespoke facilities for patients, it replaces Castel Hospital and other associated health units on the island.
Having demolished the former Oberlands House, Gleeds oversaw the construction of a new facility which provides secure and daypatient accommodation for older adults, including four extra-care beds. The site also houses consultation and administrative space for the island’s mental health community team. Nearby Mignot House, which dates back to the 1800s, has also been refurbished and converted into a Children Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) unit.
Gleeds director for the South West region, Terry Langdon, said: “We have worked closely with the States of Guernsey’s Health & Social Services Department to provide the mental healthcare staff with the best infrastructure and equipment. We hope this new building will provide a welcoming atmosphere for patients and will facilitate the very best in healthcare provision in the years to come.”
Ruby Parry, director of communities for social services and health at States of Guernsey, HSSD, added: “The project team has worked incredibly hard to deliver this fantastic new building. Our staff have commented on how much this environment has improved their capacity to deliver excellent and flexible care to those who need it, and our service users are already benefiting from a light and airy environment that respects their choice and dignity in a way that was not possible at the Castel site.”
Gleeds has worked on the island since 2004, focusing on the redevelopment of Princess Elizabeth Hospital and, most recently, managing the construction of new nursing accommodation on the site.
Among the suppliers to the project was European Doorsets, which was responsible for a complete doorset and ironmongery package.