'Transformative' rebuild of Birmingham mental health clinic begins

The £4.6 million project will expand the Parkview Mental Health Clinic in Moseley and provide every young person with a single en-suite room.

Now patients and colleagues from Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust (BWC) have come together to break ground on the project.

Trust chief executive Sarah-Jane Marsh said: "Mental health services are one of the most important parts of the what the NHS does and one of our most important services at BWC.

"Young people have been instrumental in this coming to life from the outset. It was their idea. They directly challenged me when I went to join one of their Saturday meetings and said, 'is this good enough?'

"It really set the ball rolling and they've been involved then all through in terms of the design of the building, particularly people who’ve been inpatients themselves. They know better than we ever could about what's needed. It will be a unit for young people designed by young people."

The work will replace the current dormitory-style bedrooms so each patient has a private room, as well as providing brighter and more accessible lounge and therapeutic spaces.

The project was set into motion after Zaynab, Chairperson for Think4Brum, a participation group within the Trust's mental health services, initially proposed the idea to Sarah-Jane following her experiences as an inpatient at Parkview.

Speaking at the ceremony, she said: "I was in hospital for four years in inpatient units and came to Parkview for my last inpatient stay.

"I started doing activism and volunteering work for Think4Brum, which is the youth mental health advisory group for Forward Thinking Birmingham. I spoke to Sarah-Jane Marsh and talked about how maybe Parkview wasn't fit for purpose.

“Often inpatients is quite a scary place. It might be physically safe, but it might not be emotionally safe.

“What I’m hoping is that this new building will ease worries and make sure that young people are in an emotionally safe place and have a therapeutic space.

“I think it will be lots better for the young people as it won’t be such an institutionalised environment.”

Sarah-Jane and Zaynab joined forces to cut the sod on the first piece of ground, in the space that will house better wards for young patients.

Alex Borg, executive director of mental health services at the Trust, added: "These works are going to be completely transformative in terms of the care we are able to provide.

"In terms of moving to on-suite rooms, it will mean the young people will have a place where they can go and have some time for themselves. Some of the young people are with us for some time, so having their own rooms and somewhere to call their own is really important."

The works to the Heathlands unit are scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2022.