A multi-million-pound investment programme at Royal Cornhill Hospital is finally complete, as staff and patients move into Davan and Muick wards. A total of six adult admission wards at the hospital have been upgraded, to contain the latest measures aimed at keeping both patients and staff safe.

Kerry Ross, Business Manager for Mental Health & Learning Disability Inpatient Services, Specialist Services and CAMHS, said: “This project began in 2018 and was due to be complete in mid 2020. However, the pandemic and technical issues with the refurbishment led to significant delays. I am delighted this work is now finished, providing the best possible environment for people to be cared for in, and for our teams to work in.”

The wards upgraded are Huntly, Fraser, Dunnottar, and Fyvie (adult mental health) and Davan and Muick (older adult mental health). The project began following two improvement notices from the Health & Safety Executive; however, the finished wards far exceed their recommendations. It involved a major refurbishment of the building, the installation of newer, safer specialist ligature-reduction and anti-barricade mental health fittings and fixtures, and improvement in the lines of sight for patient / staff accessibility and enhancement of clinical observation in practice.

Kerrie Bellingham, Senior Charge Nurse on Muick ward said: “It’s been a long wait, but we are finally moving into our lovely, refurbished ward. This is the perfect space to provide our Older Adults the little extras they need at their time of life. Staff can’t wait to get everyone settled in and fill it with the home comforts that make it a lovely welcoming ward.”

Jackie Kynoch is Senior Charge Nurse on Davan ward. She said: “We are delighted to move into our new ward, it's so clean, fresh and modern, and the staff and patients are already settled in. Having access to a garden has been massively beneficial to our patients and just having that access has helped improve the mental state of the some of them. There are also several areas that patients can take themselves off to if they want peace and quiet to read; the feedback from the patients has been very positive, as with the staff. Everyone is delighted all round.”

Kerry added: “I want to pay tribute to everyone working at Royal Cornhill, as well as to patients and their families. Works like this always mean upheaval and the delays have been difficult for all of us to deal with. However, the finished facilities are worth the wait, and I know they make a real difference.  

“I also want to thank everyone involved in bringing this project over the finish line: our in-house projects and estates teams, infection prevention & control for their advice and support, and Keir as the contractor. It has been a real team effort.”