First patients move into Derbyshire Healthcare’s new 54-bed mental health unit in Chesterfield
Following years of planning and preparations the doors to the Derwent Unit opened Thursday 20 March, ushering in a new era of care for people in Derbyshire with acute mental health needs.
The Derwent Unit, based on the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site, welcomed 54 patients – each of whom will have their own en-suite bedroom and will benefit from modern, therapeutic facilities, supporting their patient journey and mental ill health.
This momentous development is the second of six facilities to open as part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s £150m Making Room for Dignity programme, which will eradicate the use of dormitory-style accommodation across the county’s mental health facilities. The 54 patients moving into the Derwent Unit transferred from the Hartington Unit, also at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site.
Each service user has their own en-suite bedroom and control over their environment, with the ability to adjust the lighting and temperature to suit their needs. The new facilities also provide greater access to outdoor and green spaces, with exercise areas and outdoor sensory spaces accessed directly from the wards – even on the upper floors of the Derwent Unit in Chesterfield and Carsington Unit in Derby, which will have secure sky gardens.