New-look Penn Hospital is unveiled after £10m revamp
Work on a £10 million revamp of a hospital has been completed – and bosses have been showing off its new look.
Dignitaries including MP Paul Uppal were given a tour of the refurbished Penn Hospital in Wolverhampton.
The main block of the Penn Road-based mental health hospital has been completely transformed with new facilities including a children's play area, visitors room, activities room, gym, home skills suite, treatment rooms and a lounge and garden area.
All of the building work has now been completed with only equipment left left to be installed. Patients, who are currently based in another building on the site which will become office space, will be moved in next month.
Deputy chief executive of the Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Paul Stefanoski said: "We've been crying out for this facility for 10 years.
"It's also important in terms of keeping staff motivated with high class facilities. And it enables us to think long-term about the future of the hospital – it's a foundation from which to build on."
An emphasis is being placed on returning patients into the community more quickly and to that end there are now fewer patients for staff to care for – with a reduction in beds from 72 to 52, but the same staffing levels.
Wolverhampton South West MP Mr Uppal said: "What I love is that they've taken patient and staff views into account."
