New mental health ward opens

A new £12.6m mental health facility named Ruby Ward after its predecessor has opened in Maidstone

Transcript

00:00 A new facility for older women with complex needs that can't be met in the community.

00:06 The Ruby Ward in Maidstone has 16 beds and boasts plenty of impressive new features.

00:12 But a trust behind this building has been pulled up multiple times for its care.

00:17 And Bedway Council's October scrutiny committee issues including waiting times, worker dissatisfaction

00:24 and staff retention were all pulled up.

00:27 "There's set guidance on how many members of staff you need, so that's adhered to and

00:32 also the senior staff are constantly monitoring, have we got enough staff on the ground.

00:36 So the matrons, the ward managers, constantly communicating."

00:40 Tina has been working with older adults for 30 years.

00:44 She says this will do a lot for the mental health of patients and to speed up their recovery

00:49 time.

00:50 "Because they'll be able to move around, they won't be isolated, they'll have more access

00:53 to open spaces where they didn't have that before."

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