Bretton Centre development, Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefield
Overview
The Bretton Centre is a male low secure mental health unit. It sits within the Fieldhead site, which provides a wider range of mental health, learning disability and community services.
At SWYPFT we are improving our accommodation so that we can ensure the privacy and dignity for people who use our services. The refurbishment of the Bretton Centre wards will include installing en-suite facilities in the bedrooms and improvements to the wider ward accommodation.
By improving facilities, it will provide a positive environment so our patients can recover in modern and comfortable surroundings. The changes to the ward areas will also ensure the Trust improve the safeguarding approach to patients and staff.
The unit will continue to face into the Fieldhead site and the unit’s fence line will not change, ensuring it will have the same overall footprint within the Fieldhead site. The completed works should not affect the local area as SWYPFT are not expanding or changing the skyline of the Fieldhead site. However, it is recognised that the planned building works will cause disruption for both service users, visitors, staff and neighbours during the, preparation for, build period and after as the service resumes.
Who did you consult with and what did you ask?
A planning application for this scheme was submitted in October 2021 and approved in January 2022. The work is due to start later in 2022 and will last approximately 15 months. The work will be carried out during working hours, Monday to Friday.
The Local Authority planning team asked for any comments to be formally taken into consideration as part of the planning application process. In addition, SWYPFT has been working with local MPs and neighbours who live in the surrounding area to inform about the plans and identify any issues. The people engaged have been:
- Service users and carers
- Trust staff
- Neighbours who live in the surrounding area
A letter was sent to everyone to set out the proposed development and information on what to expect and how people can provide their views and feedback. It also included an invite link to an online meeting and hyperlink to a website page which contained further details on the development and progress.
What did they tell you?
The Trust developed an involvement and communications plan to identify key stakeholders and ensure that the Trust could gather feedback. From the involvement that has taken place so far, people have told us:
- For patients they told staff the type of environment they would expect to see, including décor and facilities.
- Stakeholders appreciated that we had taken the time to share information and provide feedback at an early stage in the process
- All stakeholders understood the reason for improving estates and agreed that the facilities needed to be improved
- Stakeholders asked that the Trust work with considerate contractors, due to the sensitive nature of services and those who will take into account access and distribution during the build and that the area is kept clean and tidy
- Stakeholders want developments with minimum disruption
- Neighbours raised issues about premises and their existing view which is heavily screened by a mature tree line
- Neighbours also had concerns about noise/vibration/dust during the build and they requested that there was no noise during certain hours or at weekends
- Neighbours wanted clarification on the roof uplift dimension
- Neighbours wonder what happens over the big fence and people did fear that the Trust would bring bedrooms closer to their houses
Following the website event the presentation was shared with all those who had attended and a follow up survey circulated.
What did you do?
Staff, patients, carers and families have all been engaged on the new developments and the Trust have already held two online meetings, launched an online survey and sent out letters to neighbours/MPs about the proposed development to give opportunity for feedback.
Further work is ongoing to engage and involve carers and service users in the design, during the development and to keep them informed. Any impacts that may occur such as changes to visiting, a move to temporary accommodation whilst the development progresses will be worked through using a mix of written and verbal updates. A further letter to carers and another online meeting is to be issued soon.
Where can you find more information about this work?
More information about this work and a plan and artist’s impression of the development can be found on SWYPFT website at Planned building work at the Bretton Centre – South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Engagement location: Wakefield
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