19 July 2024

New acute mental health ward for men in Brent

CNWL has opened Aspen ward, a 16 bed mental health inpatient ward in Park Royal Centre for Mental Health, Brent.

The new service was commissioned last year when a temporary ward was opened ahead of the new ward launch (Kingswood Acute Ward) to help support the NHS with increased demand over winter and offer a better environment to receive high-level care. 

Aspen ward is for men aged 18 years and over who need 24-hour care to support their mental health and wellbeing. It will provide a therapeutic environment and will improve access to urgent mental health care for residents in Brent and outer North West London - this includes Harrow and Hillingdon.

CNWL worked with stakeholders and communities in Brent and outer North West London to listen to their views on how residents can be better supported with their mental health, particularly with an increasing local population.

Park Royal Centre for Mental Health was chosen as the right location as it’s local to the community it serves and closer for residents in outer North West London boroughs (Hillingdon and Harrow) who can receive care there too.

Gareth Jarvis, Medical Director for Jameson (adult mental health services) said, “Supporting people in the community is always our preference as it results in better health outcomes but for some patients who need urgent care, it is right they should access it quickly. Delays can cause symptoms to get worse and can lead to longer stays in inpatient wards. We want to see patients receive inpatient care as close to their community as possible and at the right time, reducing their stay on wards so they can continue their treatment in the community.”

The temporary ward at the Kingswood Centre helped support with the launch of Aspen by gathering feedback to help shape the service design.

Graeme Caul, Chief Operating Officer:

“Listening to communities and residents where we deliver care is crucial to the work we do. Aspen is our response to those voices and the action we are taking to reduce health inequalities and wait times for mental health care for those in most need. We will continue to respond to our communities and work closely together to focus on local needs, as every community is different.”

Chief Nurse, Helen Willets:

“Aspen ward offers a therapeutic environment for patients with a welcoming feel. Staff are helping patients to stabilise and recover using therapeutic approaches and compassion. With Aspen ward increasing our capacity it means patients can move quickly to this therapeutic environment, support their recovery and avoiding stays in A&E departments for longer than necessary. Longer stays in A&E can put pressure on emergency departments who have an ever-present demand of patients coming in. The opening of Aspen Ward allows more patients to get the care they need, when they need it.”