Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trusts Chair Maggie Wheeler has invited Chloe Smith MP to take a tour of their dementia intensive care unit (Hammerton Court) which is currently under construction and due to open in Spring 2012. 

The visit, which has been arranged for 1.30pm on Friday 11th November 2011, was prompted by an article in the Eastern Daily Press on 7th October 2011 regarding Ms Smith’s concerns around the care of Dementia suffers in her constituency. 

Hammerton Court is a state of the art new building, purpose built for dementia care, providing an optimal experience for patients, carers and staff and represents its largest ever single financial investment, at over £13m.

The unit, being built at the existing Julian Hospital site on Colman Road in Norwich, will have 28 funded beds and has been designed to meet future forecast dementia needs with an additional capacity of 8 extra beds.

The building will bring together partnership working by hosting a community café, public information hub and training facilities for partner organisations and stakeholders.

These initiatives are being brought together and are supported by the Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance and represent the Trusts commitment to working towards a change in the practice of dementia care.