Two new mental health units to welcome patients

Two new, purpose built, mental health facilities in Derbyshire are set to open later this month.

The 54 bed units at Derby and Chesterfield are part of a £150m investment by the NHS designed to improve privacy, dignity and safety for patients.

As well as ending dormitory-style accommodation, patients will be given more control over their surroundings, like heating, lighting and entertainment, in a move aimed at reducing anxiety and confrontation.

Each unit will also have a shared therapy suite and kitchen, indoor fitness room, online library resource room, arts room and access to a secured roof terrace.

The Carsington and Derwent units, in Derby and Chesterfield, are part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's £150m Making Room for Dignity programme.

This is designed to replace outdated facilities and bring the area's six main mental health hubs up to national standards.

Additionally Derbyshire will have its first psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) which should largely avoid patients being sent hundreds of miles away for specialist NHS care.

Officials said giving people their own room was "incredibly important" as dormitories meant sharing a bay with strangers which often leads to anxiety and stress.

Rosie, 24 , a former mental health patient who is currently training to be a mental health nurse at the University of Derby University, is impressed with the new facilities.

She said: "They are going to benefit future patients a lot because staff are going to be able to support them in a better way at a vulnerable time.

"A lot of people suffer with sensory issues and can quickly feel overwhelmed but this is a more calming environment."

The trust's chief executive officer, Mark Powell, said: "Having these new facilities will aid recovery and keep people in hospital for a shorter amounts of time is a real game changer for us in Derbyshire.

"Yes, demand is growing but our teams are doing a fantastic job of managing that demand both at inpatient settings and in the community."

Other parts of the project involve Bluebell Ward at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield for older adults with acute mental health needs, which opened on 7 January 2025, the Radbourne Unit, at the Royal Derby Hospital which will be refurbished creating single rooms, and Audrey House, an enhanced care unit for female patients at Kingsway in Derby.

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