Inspiring experiences: using the patient voice to help shape our plans

 

Anyone can be affected by mental health challenges, and I am one of those people.

I have had the experience of being an inpatient at the Warneford Hospital and I know that going into hospital can be both disorientating and overwhelming. You really need somewhere to go that is calming and therapeutic.

I admire the history and architecture of Warneford Hospital and I appreciate it has served patients in the local community for almost 200 years. A lot has changed during that time though, and my personal experience was that it felt oppressive and that staff were hampered by the severely outdated buildings. I particularly remember the noise echoing across the wards, the lack of space for activities and therapies and the bedroom windows that gave little daylight or views of the outside world. It really wasn’t an environment you would associate with recovery.

It is widely recognised that the current hospital is no longer fit for purpose and doesn’t deliver the best outcomes or experience for patients. A new mental health hospital though, is at the heart of plans put forward by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Oxford and a local benefactor, which is great news.

“The space, care and treatment need to express dignity and respect and the design of this new hospital embodies that vision.”

I am an Experience & Involvement Facilitator and Expert By Experience for Oxford Health and I am currently a part of the Project Team for the Warneford Park Development, where I represent, involve and include voices from the patient experience angle.

Engagement with people who have experienced mental challenges has been an important part of ensuring that the plans for the new hospital will offer the best treatment, care, and therapeutic environment. This work was carried out during 2024 and was undertaken through a series of online forums and an in-person workshop.

These sessions highlighted the limitations of the current Warneford Hospital, the need for transformational change, and provided constructive feedback to the project and design team on the evolving plans.

The proposals for the new hospital have been skilfully and carefully developed and would have enhanced my experience enormously. The space, care and treatment need to express dignity and respect, and the design of this new hospital embodies that vision. It will provide a much better provision for healing and recovery, with options for new treatments, therapeutic spaces and a connection with nature.

I am passionate about improving care for people experiencing mental illness, as I know the impact it can have. I feel that Warneford Park will transform mental health care for so many people in Oxfordshire and beyond, giving them hope, better control over their challenges and access to the same opportunities as everyone else. I look forward to continuing working with the project team and our Experts By Experience as these exciting plans progress.