Watch: New Black Country mental health unit welcomes patients and staff and transforms care

The Dorothy Pattison Hospital Older Adults Unit, which replaces Bloxwich Hospital, will welcome its first patients, with them and staff having transferred to the new facility - next to Walsall Manor Hospital - over the last few days.

Purpose-built to provide high-quality inpatient care for older adults with dementia and functional mental health conditions, the hospital will offer a safer, more dignified, and recovery-focused environment for those in need.

The investment by the NHS and the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust represents the most significant upgrade to specialist mental health services for older adults in Walsall and the Black Country in a generation. It is aimed at  ensuring patients receive specialist, person-centred care in modern, therapeutic surroundings.

Named after Sister Dora, who worked at the Cottage Hospital at The Mount until 1875 and treated thousands of patients in the smallpox epidemic, the new unit features 25 private en-suite rooms, replacing dormitories, to enhance privacy, dignity, and infection control.

There are also expanded therapy and activity spaces, light-filled communal areas, a dedicated assisted bathroom, modern ward layouts and purpose-built end-of-life care facilities, offering one of the few dedicated high-quality palliative care units in the region.

There are currently 944,000 people in the UK living with dementia, a figure projected to rise beyond 1million by 2030 and reach 1.6 million by 2050.

The old Bloxwich Hospital, on Reeves Street, was originally constructed 1830 as a private residence, was a maternity unit and then converted into a psychiatric facility in 1994, but the dormitory style wards had become unsuitable for modern methods of dementia related care.

Lisa Knott, functional ward manager said: “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 we will continue to ‘keep making a difference’ - and this new setting will enhance our ability to maintain patients’ independence and wellbeing.”

Melissa James, operational manager for older adults, acknowledged the significance of the transition.

She said: "“Although leaving Bloxwich Hospital will be bittersweet for many staff who have dedicated years of service there, some who were also born there , the move to Dorothy Pattison marks a significant step forward. 

"The modern facilities will not only improve the working environment for staff but also provide a more therapeutic setting for patients, helping to reduce behaviours that challenge and enhance our person-centred approach to care delivery.”

The Trust plans further investment in adult services with the refurbishment of Edward Street Hospital in West Bromwich due to be completed this summer.