Brand new, purpose-built Older Adults Unit at Dorothy Pattison Hospital promises to transform the delivery of adult mental healthcare across the West Midlands
Some 25 patients have already moved into the new mental health unit at Dorothy Pattison Hospital in Walsall. The new facility, which replaces the outdated Bloxwich Hospital, provides a safer, more dignified, and recovery-focused environment for older adults living with dementia and functional mental health conditions.
Aerial view Dorothy Pattison Hospital in Walsall, photo courtesy of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
The hospital is part of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which says that the £24.3m investment in the new unit is the ‘most significant upgrade to specialist mental health services for older adults in Walsall and the Black Country in a generation.’ The trust is also working to strengthen community-based support.
Facilities at the new unit include ensuite rooms to enhance privacy, dignity, and infection control, therapy and activity spaces to support rehabilitation and engagement, light-filled communal areas that create a calm, home-like environment, a dedicated assisted bathroom designed for patients with mobility challenges, and purpose-built palliative care facilities to ensure high-quality end-of-life support.
Dr Aparna Prasana, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Black Country Healthcare NHS Trust, says: ‘This purpose-built facility represents a huge step forward in the way we care for older adults with mental health conditions. The improved environment with en-suite rooms, therapy spaces, and thoughtfully designed ward layouts will help us provide care that prioritises dignity, compassion, comfort, and recovery. For staff, working in a modern, well-equipped space will make an enormous difference in how we deliver safe, high-quality care.’
Lisa Knott, Functional Ward Manager, adds: ‘I’ve seen first hand the dedication of our staff in delivering holistic care, even when working in a challenging environment. As we move to our forever home at Dorothy Pattison Hospital, we will continue to “keep making a difference” – and this new setting will enhance our ability to maintain patients’ independence and well-being.’
Cllr Keir Pedley, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care at Walsall Council, says: ‘I’m delighted that the new state-of-the-art mental health unit for older adults at the Dorothy Pattison Hospital in Walsall is now open. This unit will make a real difference and enhance the quality of care provided to patients, their carers and families. Many of these patients will have dementia and this new facility will ensure they receive the dignity, care and support they need. We are committed to working with our partners to provide the best possible care for our residents and it is exciting to see the latest developments in personalised specialist care.’
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