Published on: 9th January 2024
A special breaking ground celebration has taken place to mark the start of construction to build a new state-of-the-art mental health inpatient unit in Boston.
The new unit, which will be based at the Norton Lea site on London Road, is being built by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) and will include a new 19-bed mixed-gender adult inpatient ward.
The new ward will replace the outdated dormitory style accommodation on the existing Ward 12 at Pilgrim Hospital.
Alan Pattison, LPFT’s Programme Lead, said: "Being part of breaking ground really brought home that construction of the new centre is commencing. This is a hugely exciting milestone for LPFT and a great opportunity to celebrate all the work it has taken to get to this point.”
Breaking ground is an important construction milestone which publicly marks the start of building work on site.
Members of the project team, including Experts by Experience, and colleagues from Integrated Health Projects (IHP), who have been appointed by the Trust to undertake the building works, were in attendance.
The build is part of a wider national programme to improve mental healthcare services, which also include the new £25million development in Lincoln where two new adult inpatient wards have been built.
Kevin Lockyer, Trust Chair, added: "I would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this stage. The creation of the new ward will improve privacy and dignity standards for people who use our services.
“The building has been co-designed with our Experts by Experience, healthcare professionals and construction experts, so we are confident we will create a therapeutic space for those who receive care from us.”
Feedback from patients, carers and staff has been used to help shape the plans for the site as part of LPFT’s ‘Building Together’ programme.
If you have experience of mental health inpatient wards or you are supporting someone as a carer and would like to be part of the Trust’s 'Building Together' focus group, please contact Sarah Cox via lpft.involvement@nhs.net or call 07773 206341.
For more information, please visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/newacutewards.
