Rotherham date for TV star Lynda Bellingham

ACTRESS and star of TV's Loose Women Lynda Bellingham will cut the ribbon on two state of the art mental health facilities in Rotherham on Friday.

Lynda, who is an ambassador for mental health charities, has recently been appearing in the stage adaptation of Calendar Girls and this engagement coincides with the play’s closing night in Bradford.

The official opening ceremony will mark the completion of the construction phase of a £20 million project by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), in partnership with NHS Rotherham and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, to modernise the borough’s mental health services and provide the very best therapeutic environments to care for some of Rotherham’s most vulnerable people

The new accommodation includes an adult psychiatric intensive care unit and Section 136 facility at the trust’s adult mental health inpatient unit at Swallownest Court, where existing accommodation for rehabilitation has also been extensively refurbished.

There is also a purpose-built unit in the grounds of Rotherham Hospital called The Woodlands, designed specifically to meet the needs of people aged over 65 who are in need of acute care for functional and organic mental health problems.

It has activity space, single en-suite accommodation and access to beautifully landscaped gardens. Staff have introduced the very latest ideas and technologies to promote a safe and healing environment for patients with mental health problems and dementia.

RDaSH chairman Madeleine Keyworth said: “The trust is committed to bringing high quality, modern accommodation to mental health service users to promote their mental well being and play an essential part in their recovery.

“These units provide excellent facilities for treatment and ongoing development, ensuring our services are tailored to meet the needs and circumstances of all who use them.”