Lena Samuels NLMHP Chair, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Chris Hopson, Alastair Campbell, Jinjer Kandola MBE, NLMHP Chief Executive
On Friday 12 July, we ended an action-packed week with the opening of £82m Highgate East Mental Health Hospital, part of North London Mental Health Partnership’s (NLMHP) plans for the transformation of mental health care.
Unveiling the plaque
Broadcaster, journalist and mental health campaigner Alastair Campbell, along with local MP Jeremy Corbyn, newly elected Independent MP for Islington North, unveiled a plaque marking the opening. They were joined by Chris Hopson, NHS England’s Chief Strategy Officer, service users, representatives from Camden and Islington Councils and leadership and staff from the North London Mental Health Partnership.
This impressive, new 78-bed facility is one of the outcomes of the St Pancras redevelopment, representing a significant investment in mental health services for local people across Islington, Haringey, Camden and further afield.
Bimal Patel, Chief Finance Officer of the North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: “I was privileged to represent North London Integrated Care Board and NCL ICS on the official opening of Highgate East, with Jinjer Kandola MBE, NLMHP’s Chief Executive. It’s great to see it up and running and that the system has worked together to make all of this come together. This is a truly fantastic facility for patients with mental health needs.”
Campbell spoke movingly at the event about his brother, Donald, who suffered with schizophrenia and died aged just 62: “When my brother died, we sat down with a map of the UK and dotted all the different places where he’d been. So, we had all these hospitals all around the country and some of them were amazing and some of them were terrible and places where you would not want to be treated.”
“That is why I wanted to be involved today – I felt the power of the architecture as we were going around. What is important if you have a facility like this, is that you really shout about it. You should get people in to see it. You can see best practice here and hopefully that can spread.”
“This building is absolutely fantastic”
Highgate East has 78 single, ensuite rooms in a contemporary setting for mental health care, with lots of natural light. Each ward has access to fresh air through terraced sky gardens, all enclosed for security, while allowing service users to connect with nature.
Bedrooms are designed for safety and comfort, with individual temperature controls and modern furniture. Wards have calming sensory rooms and airy common areas with TVs, pool tables, ping pong tables, kitchens aND an onsite gym.
Nicky Baker, a service user who was involved in the co-production of Highgate East and spoke at the opening ceremony, said: “This building is absolutely fantastic. When you suffer from a mental illness, you shut yourself away and you’re in a dark space. Coming here, you’re in the light and the fresh air, and it feels so comfortable. If you’re ill and you come here, you will get better – it’s a home away from home.”
Jinjer Kandola MBE, NLMHP Chief Executive, added: “We’re extremely proud of our fantastic new building, which provides state-of-the-art inpatient mental health facilities for local people from Camden, Haringey and Islington, all boroughs with high levels of mental health need.
“We believe Highgate East is one of the best NHS mental health inpatient facilities in the country and that service users and staff who moved here in March are already seeing the benefits.”
See what Chris Hopson, Bimal Patel and Jinjer Kandola MBE had to say about the new facility
Hear Alastair Campbell’s thoughts on Highgate East Mental Health Hospital
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