Following a £9.4million refurbishment, the Wesham Rehab Center now aims to provide inspirational mental health rehabilitation to patients in Lancashire.
The old rehab centre, a remnant of the wider Wesham Hospital site closed in 2012, fell out of use when the NHS moved its services and those of a similar unit in Rossall to Clifton Hospital in St Anns.
From now on, a ‘community-oriented rehabilitation service’ will be based in the refurbished Mowbreck Lane building, which includes a modern timber-clad extension.
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Renovation of Wesham Rehab Center ‘well under way’ in former hospital…
It has 28 en-suite rooms for people who have been hospitalized and need help regaining their skills and confidence in daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning and looking after their own health and well-being. .
The center has expansive gardens and outdoor therapy areas and includes quiet lounges and a communal MasterChef-style kitchen where residents can cook all their own meals with staff support.
A community space has also been included in the new entrance block to encourage use of the center by local people, in partnership with the trust.
Joanna Stark, Operations Manager for Fylde Coast in Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud to launch this new offer to our service users and help bridge the gap between acute treatment and the reintegration of returnees into the community.
“The service will positively impact existing service users and benefit new service users who require a different type of support.
“Our goal is to help people with long-term mental illness manage their own care and give them back the independence and lifestyle they deserve.
“Our team and partners have worked hard over the past two years to open the Wesham Rehabilitation Centre, a service that hopes to involve neighbors when we open our doors for local community events.
“We hope the Wesham Center will pave the way for future mental health rehabilitation services throughout the region.”
Architect, design and general planning firm Frank Whittle Partnership, of Preston, was appointed to deliver the £9.4 million center and led the redevelopment of the existing building. Construction work on the project was carried out by the Eric Wright Group.
Martin Whittle, FWP partner, said: “We have used all of our experience that we have accumulated in the mental health sector over many years to deliver this important community project.
“It is truly a showcase of the progression of mental health design over the past few years and the leading role that FWP’s team of specialists have played in this development.