Visit to Kingsway Hospital site in Derby

Our chief executive Daniel Elkeles visited Kingsway Hospital site in Derby, part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The Carsington Unit is brand new and one of the three adult acute inpatient mental health units the trust runs across the county. Incredibly only four years ago the trust’s entire inpatient bed stock was provided in dormitory wards but by 2027, 100% of it will be in single ensuite rooms.  

Daniel said: “The wards were a pleasure to visit as was being shown around by both the matron, and ward manager. We were also joined by Sandra and Les who are patient and carer experts by experience and were conducting a 15-step challenge on the ward environment. It was clear that the wards had been co-designed with patients and their staff. I particularly liked the sky garden on the first floor that allows you to look directly down onto the gardens on the ground floor making it seem so much bigger. On each ward, patients have free access to one of the courtyards. To ensure that patients can make regular use of the gym equipment on each ward many of the ward staff are being trained to be 'gym observers'.

“In each of the new inpatient mental health facilities I have visited across the country, staff reported being able to:

🔵 provide better care, with fewer patient incidents
🔵 lower lengths of stay, better staff recruitment
🔵 and improve morale - and Derby was no exception.

“There were lots of examples of great practice across the organisation. Their IPS employment service in 2024/25 placed almost 250 people into paid employment and is going to exceed that this year. They have worked collaboratively with Derbyshire Constabulary and other partners to implement Right Care Right Person. They have been using their psychiatric hospital liaison teams to do dementia diagnosis on the older people wards in the acute hospitals. They are also working with the University of Derby to both support their new medical school and to achieve University Hospital status.

“As I discovered at London Ambulance Service, there is lots to be learnt from all sectors of the NHS. In Derbyshire they have just completed a major reorganisation of their management structures to put in place the ‘Tri’ leadership model of a doctor, manager and nurse/therapist/psychologist at every leadership level in every service. There are already early indications that this is making a positive difference. Staff survey completion rates have exceeded last year’s level at 65%.

“Thank you, Mark, Vikki and team, for a truly inspiring visit.”