Wisteria ward, a specialist unit for children and young people with eating disorders, has re-opened at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting after a major refurbishment.
The new ward, which has been co-designed in partnership with staff, carers, patients and service users, is in Newton building just a few minutes’ walk away from Harewood House where the ward was temporarily moved to while the refurbishment works took place.
The renovation sees 12 new bedrooms which are light, spacious and modern, bespoke bathroom and shower rooms, a large welcoming lounge area with comfortable modern furniture, a calming sensory room, and a larger staff base area.
Executive Director of Nursing and Quality Sharon Spain said: “We are thrilled to be re-opening Wisteria ward which will provide an outstanding environment for young people to recover and receive the best quality care. It looks fantastic and the changes will make a huge difference to the experience of both patients and staff.
“I would like to thank our patients and their families for their support and understanding while the renovation took place, and also Wisteria ward staff who have worked incredibly hard and shown so much dedication to improving our service.”
Matron for All Age Eating Disorder Services Stef Looker said: “We are really excited about the new ward. It has been thoughtfully designed to create a space which looks and feels comfortable, modern, therapeutic and welcoming for the young people we care for.
“Feedback from staff, patients and their families has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are so grateful to everyone who has been involved in the transformation.”
The re-opening comes at an exciting time for Wisteria ward, which in June had its rating raised to ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following their inspection in March 2022. The CQC inspectors said they were really impressed by the quality of care and commitment of staff to continually improve the service provided.
The hospital’s eating disorders unit for adults, Avalon ward, will also be moving into brand new facilities this year as part of the Trust’s Integrated Programme which works to improve the Trust’s environment, its culture and its clinical services.
Avalon ward will move into the second floor of one of the two new cutting edge mental healthcare facilities – Trinity and Shaftesbury – at Springfield University Hospital. These buildings house eight state-of-the-art wards which have been designed to provide the optimal environment to support care and recovery.
