HRH The Princess Royal opens Dewnans Centre

Posted on 31st July, 2013

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal today visited the Dewnans Centre at Langdon Hospital in Dawlish. Her visit included a short tour, during which she met staff, patients and people involved with the design and construction of the new facility, and the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the opening of the Dewnans Centre. Located at the top of the Langdon Hospital site, the £27m Dewnans Centre is the most modern medium-level secure facility anywhere in the country.  Its state-of-the-art design sees 60 beds located in four wards, alongside a wide range of recreational, educational and vocational resources that include a Sports Barn and Therapies Centre. Commenting on the event, Dr John Parker, Clinical Director at Langdon Hospital, said:  “We are all very proud that HRH The Princess Royal was able to come and see the facility and commemorate its opening.  Her Royal Highness expressed genuine interest and support for what we do here and it was particularly rewarding to see her talking to some of our staff and patients about what life is like within a secure mental health unit. “We actually opened our doors back in April and the Dewnans Centre is now providing a fantastic environment for the people we support and the staff who work with them – it represents a huge leap forward for us in terms of quality, safety and security.   “Of particular importance is the fact that we can now provide services to support a broader range of people. This means we are able to care for some people who have previously had to be treated outside Devon – meaning that they can now be closer to their families and friends.  There are also new employment opportunities for local people and the recruitment of nurses and other professionals to join the team has been very successful.” Click here to view more information about the Dewnans Centre.