West London NHS Trust has taken formal possession of the new Broadmoor Hospital from the construction company, Kier.
Following the trust’s decision to approve takeover of the five new hospital buildings, work will now begin on preparations to transfer patients currently being cared for in Britain’s oldest high-secure psychiatric hospital to a modern, state-of-the-art facility.
Carolyn Regan, chief executive of West London NHS Trust, said: “This is a critical step towards the delivery of significant improvements to the way in which we are able to care for patients in Broadmoor Hospital.
“This move – from a hospital which is more than 150 years old to one which has been purpose built to provide a safe, therapeutic environment for the delivery of care fit for the 21st Century – focuses on hope and recovery and the trust’s commitment to supporting patients to take a more-active role in their care.”
Ben Stevenson, operations director at Kier Major Projects, added: “We're delighted to hand over the first phase of the Broadmoor Hospital redevelopment programme.
“This is a crucial step towards providing a modernised and safe environment and we look forward to seeing patients and staff move into the new facilities."
This move – from a hospital which is more than 150 years old to one which has been purpose built to provide a safe, therapeutic environment for the delivery of care fit for the 21st Century – focuses on hope and recovery and the trust’s commitment to supporting patients to take a more-active role in their care
Features of the new hospital, located in the current grounds to the west of the existing buildings, include spacious wards which maximise the use of natural light, clear lines of sight to ensure staff and patient safety, and a layout designed to enable the supervised movement of patients.
In preparation for patients moving to the new hospital, work will continue to train hospital staff, transfer services, finish the hospital grounds and install new equipment.
In parallel with the move to the new hospital, the trust will also be modernising the way in which it communicates with the local community by decommissioning the remaining sirens and replacing them with the Thames Valley Alert system.
Designed by Oxford Architects and LDA Design; the new hospital has 16 wards and 234 beds.
As well as the three new ward buildings and the entrance building; the new site includes a central building which will house hospital therapies.
The new facility has 16 wards and 234 beds
