A replacement mental health ward, designed specifically for older patients, has been welcomed despite it being moved 11 miles away.

The new purpose-built centre in Maidstone has opened today (March 8) following the closure of the 14-bed Ruby Ward unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) has opened the new facility, which specialises in mental healthcare for older women, particularly those diagnosed with dementia.

Its predecessor – Ruby Ward in Medway Maritime – had 14 beds and was being wound down last year while the construction of the new ward, also called Ruby Ward, was being prepared at KMPT’s Hermitage Lane site in Maidstone.

The new site has an increased 16 beds available which the Trust says has more space for patients and staff, as well as dedicated spaces for counselling, group therapy, and creative activities, alongside facilities to help people relearn essential skills such as cooking and cleaning.

The new £12.6 million site will officially start welcoming patients on March 14.

It was opened by the MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, Helen Whately (Con) with KMPT chair, Dr Jackie Craissati, chief executive Sheila Stenson, and staff, as well as representatives from external partners in the voluntary sector, Kent County Council, and Medway Council.

KMPT chief executive Sheila Stenson said: “I am delighted to see our new, state-of-the-art Ruby Ward open its doors to our patients and bring an end to the last of our old, outdated dormitory wards.

“I am committed to ensuring our buildings are fit for purpose and enable us to provide the very best care to our patients and that is exactly what we have created here.”

Although KMPT says the move will improve facilities, some Medway councillors have expressed concerns residents will receive a worse service as they now have to travel for something previously on their doorstep.

At several health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committees, councillors criticised the move, which is the latest service to move out of the area, and told KMPT it needs to improve – particularly in relation to staff retention.

Medway Council’s deputy leader and chairwoman of the council’s health and wellbeing board, Cllr Teresa Murray (Lab), said she previously had reservations about the service being taken out of the Towns but now believes it will provide a much superior service.

She said: “It is a fantastic facility and I wish every NHS facility in Medway was like that.

“It's absolutely state of the art and for the older women, many of them with dementia and other life-limiting mental health problems, they'll be having the best possible experience.

“None of the new facilities were possible in the old Ruby Ward.

“At the start, I joined with everybody's reservations about moving our last in-bed facility for mental health patients in Medway out of the area.

“But this is on the main site of Maidstone Hospital, there are good transport links for families, plenty of car parking, and encouragement for car-share schemes.

“And in terms of the standard of the care, it really is brilliant.”

Cllr Murray also said KMPT were looking to add services to Medway and had promised the return of a recovery house which will provide a safe place for people with an emerging or short-term mental health crisis.

Dr Afifa Qazi, chief medical officer at KMPT, said the new Ruby Ward would be serving patients from across Kent and the wards would still treat those from Medway who need the specific care they provide.

She added the service would work to tailor family visits to the ward to the specifics of the family, if they were dependent on public transport, as well as the medical needs of the patient.

KMPT received funding to replace dormitory-style wards in inpatient mental health facilities, which they say no longer best serve patients’ care or safety needs.

Now patients will have private rooms, as well as improved facilities and four new gardens.

The site has also been specifically designed to meet KMPT’s ambition for being a net-zero carbon emission NHS trust through energy-saving lighting, heat-retaining flooring, and the use of solar panels.

Carol Ann-Thornett, KMPT engagement council chair, said: “KMPT’s new Ruby ward is very impressive.

“It really sets the gold standard for care provision and it is clear that a lot of thought and careful planning has gone into the design of the ward.

“It has a very open feel, and a huge amount of outside space that will undoubtedly benefit the wellbeing of patients, visitors and staff.

“The individual ensuite bedrooms ensure privacy and dignity for patients, and the light and airy communal spaces, quiet rooms and activity rooms, including a piano, all help create an environment that supports healing.”

Helen Whately, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, who attended the opening and is Health and Care Minister, said: “I’m delighted to open the new Ruby Ward at KMPT’s Hermitage Lane site.

“Patients receiving mental health treatment deserve dignity and privacy, and these new rooms will help to provide it. They’ll mean better working conditions for staff and better care for local residents.

“We’ve invested an extra £2.3 billion in mental health services since 2019, and replacing outdated dormitories is just part of that.

“Extra funding for research, talking therapies, and crisis support are all making a difference for people across Kent and Medway.”