New outsourced ward opened – Poppy Ward

National guidance highlights that smaller ward sizes lead to better outcomes for both service users and staff. To enhance safety and quality of care, we have reduced the maximum ward size for adult acute patients at Prospect Park Hospital to 18.

Published 12 May 2025

To support this transition, we undertook a competitive tender process which led to the opening of Poppy Ward, a new outsourced ward in Newbury, operated by Priory. This ensures that the necessary bed capacity is maintained while we work towards optimising ward sizes at Prospect Park Hospital. Poppy Ward, at Priory Hospital Newbury, adheres to the same NHS governance and quality standards as our existing inpatient services.

On the opening of the ward, Rose Hombo, Service Director for Mental Health Inpatients at Prospect Park Hospital, stated: "Since the opening of Poppy Ward, acute ward occupancy at the hospital has remained close to 87%, and we aim to sustain this trajectory. By optimising space and transitioning to smaller wards, we can enhance patient care and experience. This approach also allows us to bring all patients currently placed out-of-area back to a single, centralised unit, improving care coordination and overall outcomes."

Louise Griffiths, Director of Strategy and Service Development at Priory, added: “We are proud to support the Trust as part of the local health economy in delivering high-quality mental health care closer to home for patients in line with NHS plans to eliminate out-of-area placements. This type of collaboration ensures that individuals can access the support they need within their local communities, improving continuity of care and patient, as well as family, experience.”

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