Looking forward to more change

I look forward to the new buildings - they’ll have a less institutional feeling for patients, a light, airy place that will help their recovery. Designed with best practice and modern mental health learning and for safety, they are nicely thought out - from door handles to clinical space - they will be easier to work in, a lovely environment for patients, and safer - eliminating blind spots to protect patients and staff. Joanne Simmons

The site used to be very closed off from the community. We had gates, installed barriers to keep cars out, and prevented local school children from making shortcuts across the property. I never thought I’d see the day when it will be open to the community!

Suresh Desai

What I’m looking forward to is a fit-for-purpose building and a better working environment for staff, better patient spaces, and good meeting and public meeting space.

Kathy Sheldon

I think I’ll miss having a dedicated personal space like a desk or office with pictures of family and other personalisation, but it will be better because the design focuses on patients and we are now working in smart ways which means work life balance is easier to manage.

Joanne Simmons

The pandemic rapidly introduced change and it caused a revolution in our community treatment and delivery. Previously all our contact was face to face, but adopting Attend Anywhere using video increased our range of contact, and some clients said they no longer needed to drag themselves in to see a doctor.

Michael Hever

I look forward to better facilities at Barnes Hospital designed for our elderly and frail patients and visitors.

Claire Pond

I look forward to moving to the new hospitals and seeing how patients will be benefitted by having a nicer environment day-to-day and being more integrated into the community, a step further to destigmatising mental illness and away from the old ‘asylum’ mentality.

Sharon Spain

When I first went to see the new buildings I was taken aback by the size and scale of the wards – and how they’ll be safer, easier and more friendly environments for patients and staff, more therapeutic and more dignified for patients and families. This kind of large-scale investment in mental health gives a positive message about the future of mental health care.

Jacob Stone

Everything changed quickly when the pandemic started and we had to start working from home. but we quickly settled into the routine and began meeting people online – colleagues and clients. It was easy to see the advantages for our service – no more trying to find meeting rooms, far less travel and disruption for people! We adapted well to working from home and I am pleased that this will carry on.

Jane Healey

Staff have always said they would value a better work-life balance alongside being more productive in their work. One key to unlock that was technology – and another is the Ways of Working Policy which blends working from home with onsite working, and sets it as our standard way of working. The pandemic may have kick-started it, but it’s here to stay!

Sally Jones

Now I can’t imagine not working from home.

Stacey Noble

I joined the progamme team to play the role as a ‘critical friend’. I saw actual change to design happening with feedback from nurses, deaf translators and others. I want change to happen not just here – I want it to happen throughout all the NHS.

Joanne, Lived Experience Network

At every step we involved the voices of our community. People of colour were at a lot of our focus groups at Springfield. And many of our artists were from Caribbean or African backgrounds. There is a huge legacy from the work we are doing together at Springfield – nationwide and internationally.

Siphiwi Mnguni, Artist