Recruitment drive underway at Newport hospital following extension

A transition-focused healthcare provider, which is investing £1.5m in extending its specialist neuro-degenerative centre, St Peter’s hospital, has begun its recruitment drive to fill 75 roles.

Ludlow Street Healthcare is looking to strengthen its existing staff team by bringing in more nurses and support workers to work at the Newport-based facility.

Earlier this year the independent healthcare provider announced plans to extend the Newport hospital in a bid to meet the growing need for care provision for people with neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric conditions including acquired brain injury (ABI).

The extension at St Peter’s, which has been awarded the highest service ranking from the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW), will eventually add 4,542 sq ft of space and 18 new beds to the hospital.

With the building work planned in three phases, the first phase which is nearly complete will accommodate six new beds on the ground floor, adding to the 33 already available, along with spacious living and dining areas, a kitchen, and nurse’s station.

David Lawrence, CEO, of Ludlow Street Healthcare recently visited St Peter’s Hospital to view the work completed so far.

David met with Tony Griffiths, Managing Director of Ludlow Langstone Construction, the contractors for the project and visited some of the residents in the existing hospital.

During the visit, he saw some of the facilities which will be available for the new patients, all of which aim to create calm and familiar environments. These included the in-house hair and nail salon, the sensory room, and the relaxation room with its Wellness Nordic Relax Chair.

David also took the time to drop in on one of the Move it or Lose It exercise sessions specially designed to encourage less mobile patients to remain fit and active.

Among other activities available to patients at St Peter’s are animal therapy sessions. Studies show that interaction with animals can lower stress levels, alleviate depression, boost activity and provide companionship.

St Peter’s has incorporated this popular form of therapy into their regular programming and Mr Lawrence dropped by to experience a session for himself during his visit and meet the animals kindly brought along by Walnut Tree Farm Park.

There has already been considerable interest in the new hospital facilities and once the formal registration process of the new hospital unit is complete, Ludlow Street Healthcare expects to be able to welcome the first new patients in early autumn.

The increased specialist service provision means that Welsh patients who are presently being cared for outside of Wales will be able to return and live closer to home and their families.

Mr Lawrence said:

“We are delighted with the work which has been completed on St Peter’s Hospital extension project.

“We feel the extension will significantly enhance the highly regarded treatment and rehabilitation service we already offer.

“There are currently 800,000 people with neurodegenerative diseases living in the UK, and due to people living longer and changing lifestyles, this is forecast to increase to one million.

“This project, along with the extra staff and facilities means we will be better able to meet the growing requirement for specialist neuropsychiatric care.

“St Peter’s Hospital has long been recognized as experts in the care of people with neurodegenerative disorders, and we feel that this significant investment and new extension will allow us to extend the excellent care provision we can offer.”

25 new staff are being recruited currently to support the opening of the 1st phase, with plans to recruit a further 50 staff at the beginning of next year to support the rest of the extension as it completes and is ready to welcome patients.

In addition to St Peter’s Hospital, Ludlow Street Healthcare operates numerous sites, including Pinetree Hospital and Heatherwood Court, which each specialise in areas including the treatment, support, and rehabilitation of people with learning disabilities and mental health disorders.

The group also operates Beechwood College – a specialist further education establishment for young adults with complex Autistic Spectrum Conditions and Ocean Community Services which manages small residential step-down and rehabilitation homes within community settings.

Anyone interested in knowing more about the career opportunities on offer should visit https://www.lshealthcare.co.uk/ludlow-careers/