Woodland View, the new £46million mental health and community facility in Irvine, is now open and set to care for Ayrshire’s patients for generations to come.
Kilbirnie grandmother, Margaret (Pearl) King (72), became the first Woodland View patient to move in and cut a ribbon to formally mark the facility as being open on Friday 6 May 2016.
During the month of May, older people and complex care wards will be moving from Pavilions 1, 2, 3 at Ayrshire Central Hospital and Biggart Hospital in Prestwick.
Then, most wards from Ailsa Hospital will also make the move to Irvine along with mental health wards at University Hospital Crosshouse.
Outpatient clinics will start operating at the facility at the end of May.
Mrs King was delighted to find out she would be the first patient through the doors of Woodland View She said: “I was so pleased when I discovered I was to be the first patient through the doors. I obviously want to return home from hospital as soon as I can but I am looking forward to seeing my own room in Woodland View.
It looks very impressive from the outside and I am sure that my fellow patients and I will continue to be well cared for there.
Andrea Fitzpatrick, Senior Charge Nurse at Pavilion 2 of Ayrshire Central Hospital, added: “All of the staff are looking forward to moving in. We have had a tour round the facilities and are absolutely thrilled with the space and light that is available. Everything in Woodland View looks great and offers our patients first-class accommodation.”
Woodland View will have 206 private en-suite bedrooms for inpatients distributed throughout 13 ward areas.
John Scott, Programme Director for Woodland View, commented: “I would like to thank Mrs King for being kind enough to formally open Woodland View to patients. We look forward to welcoming the next 205 patients over the coming weeks.
“Woodland View is a tremendous facility for the people of Ayrshire. Not only will it provide state-of-the-art surroundings for patients, staff and service-users, it also offers a place for the local community to come. People are welcome to come in and have a coffee in the Bramble Cafe, buy their newspaper in the morning from the Volunteers shop or take a cycle or walk around the newly constructed cycle path.”