'Absolutely delighted' - New, £36m mental health ward for adults officially opened in Boston

The 19-bed unit at Norton Lea, in London Road, replaces the former Ward 12 at the town’s Pilgrim Hospital.

It is part of a programme to eliminate dormitory-style accommodation across Lincolnshire’s mental health inpatient services.

On Ward 12, there were four beds to a bay; Havenside, by comparison, provides everyone with access to individual en-suite bedrooms, along with shared spaces and areas for therapeutic activities.

The facility is run by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT).

From the earliest design conversations to the finishing touches, the facility has been co-produced with people who have used mental health wards, the trust says.

Trust chairman Kevin Lockyer, said: “Our ‘Experts by Experience’, patients, families and carers have influenced everything; from construction and layout to colour palettes and furniture. This is a space created with our communities, for our communities, and it will help people feel safe, supported and respected when they need it most.”

LPFT chief executive Sarah Connery said: “We are absolutely delighted to open this new facility. It gives patients the dignity of their own private space, alongside modern therapeutic areas and outdoor access that we know can make a real difference during a difficult time. This is a significant step forward in improving inpatient mental health care in Lincolnshire.”

An ‘Expert By Experience’ who has played a part in the Building Together Focus Group said: “Through involvement, my confidence in my abilities started to return. To feel part of a team, talking, interacting, listening, being listened to, encouraged, feeling valued, being respected and respecting, has been the best medicine there is.

“For me, being involved has been a privilege, a greatly enjoyable and life-enhancing experience. To be made to feel that my views, and those of the other Experts by Experience on the group carry equal weight with those of the professionals around the table is both uplifting and flattering.”

Among the guests to attend today’s official opening was Sir Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s former deputy chief medical officer.

He said he had been struck by the extent to which the building’s design foregrounded the needs of patients to help deliver the best outcomes for them.

“Literally, everything in the built environment has been focused on that purpose,” he said.

“This just feels completely mind-blowing in terms of attention to detail and the design sensitivity,” he said.

He also welcomed the investment in mental health, saying, across the NHS, for many years, it has been something of a ‘poor relative’ to physical health.

“There’s a real growing awareness now that it’s just as important,” he said.

As part of this project, the trust has also been working with the University of Lincoln’s School of Creative Arts to create mindful and therapeutic artwork throughout the ward.

Rachel Baynton, associate professor in performance, arts and cultural production, said: “At the University of Lincoln we’re leading work around arts-based approaches to wellbeing – connecting people to creativity and recovery. We are all so proud of this project – both the process and the finished work – and want to express our gratitude to the patients and staff at Boston Pilgrim, and to the young artists at Boston College for their input and artistry throughout.”

The new ward had its official opening this week with public tours made available to the local community to take a look around.

Patients will transfer across to the new environment over the coming weeks.