Medway Lodge Mental Health Hospital

In a medium secure unit, patient, staff comfort, and safety were at the forefront of this project to create a practical and safe yet homely environment for patients.

A tight budget for the allocated refurbishment meant careful consideration of services, and decisions had to be made. Our experience in leading similar mental health projects ensured we were on hand to advise the client using our insightful knowledge of best in practice and services solutions to deliver a technically advanced project on a restricted budget. The refurbished unit contains wards 18-, 16-, and 19-bed wards, rehabilitation areas, a gym, and communal areas for the patients to congregate/communicate with one another during their stay.

All lighting and electrical services were replaced to bring the building back up to standard. A new nurse call system and other access and security measures have been put in place to ensure the refurbished ward is suitable to house the patients and their requirements. All systems, from lighting to window handles, were carefully considered and analyzed to assess patient safety to meet anti-ligature requirements.

During the construction phase of Medway Lodge, an adjacent ward (the ‘Well’s unit’) will continue to operate, requiring a reconfiguration of services to make this possible. This was undertaken as an enabling works package to allow the power supply to be fed to certain ward areas. In contrast, others are isolated simultaneously, permitting works to proceed in the Medway unit with minimal disruption to the Well’s unit’s normal practice.