PATIENTS will today move into a new £7 million Greenock health facility and the Tele has been given an exclusive behind the scenes tour.

Orchard View, built next to Inverclyde Royal Hospital, has been 10 years in the making and finally opens its doors later.

The 42-bed facility is specially-designed for older people suffering from dementia and adults with mental health problems, replacing the Dunrod Unit at Ravenscraig Hospital.

Split into two wards — Oak and Willow — the impressive complex features en-suite rooms, a cafe, hair salon, laundry area, treatment rooms and several social areas, including separate spaces for men and women.

There are also landscaped gardens with raised beds and plant and vegetable patches for patients to make use of.

The building has specially-commissioned artwork throughout made by service users in conjunction with professional artists.

Orchard View has been developed by Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), which brings together services provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board and Inverclyde Council.

Deborah Gillespie, from the HSCP, head of mental health services in Inverclyde, said: “It’s been 10 years since the project started and the next stage is seeing the patients in here and that’s so exciting.

“This is all part of modernising mental health services in Inverclyde.”

The complex has 24 continuing care beds for dementia patients, six for those with the illness and other conditions and 12 continuing care beds.

There are memory boxes outside each room for patients, particularly those with dementia, to keep photos and other memorabilia.

Boxes located in the main dining and social area were designed by pupils from Ardgowan Primary.

Gillian Robb, in-patient services manager and project leader, said: “The children have all become ‘dementia friends’ and the school is also now dementia-friendly.

“There are also features like the cafe, which will be run by the RVS, that we didn’t have in the Dunrod Unit.

“It’s one of many areas where patients and their families can come out of the ward and have a nice time, looking out at nice gardens and just have a conversation making the best of the time they have together.”

Health officials worked  closely on the complex with experts from the renowned Scottish Dementia Development Centre plus doctors and nurses, patients and their families.

Deborah said: “Everything in this unit is designed to be friendly for people who have difficulties arising from dementia and it’s linked to the Dementia Friendly Inverclyde initiative.

“We want to be really connected with the community.

“Ravenscraig has historically been quite a frightening place and removed from the local community.

“There’s been a lot of work done on balancing safety standards for things like fire, infection control and so on with making sure that Orchard View looks as homely as possible.

“A lot of research has gone into it and staff have had a huge part to play.”