Published on: 6 August 2025
Today (6 August 2025), Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust opened its doors to Audrey House, a newly refurbished Enhanced Care Unit (ECU), designed to support women with complex mental health needs in a safe, therapeutic environment. 
Located on the Kingsway Hospital site in Derby, Audrey House is an eight-bedded unit that provides an enhanced level of mental health support for women.
The facility is the fifth development completed under the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Making Room for Dignity programme, which is transforming mental health inpatient care across Derbyshire by eliminating dormitory-style accommodation and enhancing dignity, privacy and recovery.
Audrey House has been designed with input from service users, carers and clinical staff to ensure it meets the highest standards of safety, comfort and therapeutic benefit. The unit includes single en-suite bedrooms and therapeutic spaces all tailored to support women who may be experiencing high levels of distress.
Mark Powell, Chief Executive at Derbyshire Healthcare, said: “The opening of Audrey House marks another significant milestone in our commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred care.
“While the number of women requiring a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) bed is relatively low, the Trust identified a clear need for a facility that bridges the gap between acute care and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit. Audrey House responds to this need by offering enhanced support for women whose mental health needs are more complex, ensuring they receive the right level of care in a safe and therapeutic environment.
“This new unit will ensure that women with complex needs can receive the right care, in the right environment, close to home. It also reflects our ongoing efforts to reduce out-of-area placements and improve outcomes for service users and their families.”
Selina Ullah, Trust Chair at Derbyshire Healthcare, also said: “Audrey House is a vital addition to our mental health services in Derbyshire. It provides a safe and supportive space for women who need enhanced care, and it has been developed with compassion, dignity and recovery at its heart. I want to thank everyone involved in bringing this project to life – your dedication is helping us to build a better future for mental health care in our county.”
The new unit is co-located with other inpatient services on the Kingsway site, enabling smoother transitions between levels of care and fostering a more integrated approach to treatment. Audrey House is expected to significantly reduce the need for out-of-area placements for women requiring enhanced care, helping to maintain family connections and continuity of care.
A member of the Derbyshire Mental Health Carers Community Forum for Chesterfield & North Derbyshire at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “It is fantastic to have a new service where women with enhanced mental health needs can receive the right care and support. This new addition will bring a plethora of benefits, particularly in terms of recovery and length of stay which will reduce the likelihood of readmissions in future. One of the main benefits is receiving care within proximity of loved ones, something that will be beneficial to both sides – patients and their families, and carers.”
The programme's new builds are the Carsington Unit, 54-bed unit at the Kingsway Hospital in Derby, which opened on 29 May; the Derwent Unit, a 54-bed unit at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital site, which opened on 18 March; and Kingfisher House, a 14-bed male Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at the Kingsway Hospital site in Derby, which opened on 22 July.
Alongside Audrey House Enhanced Care Unit, the programme also includes two other refurbishment projects including Bluebell Ward, a ward for older adults with acute mental health needs based at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield (which opened on 7 January 2025); and the Radbourne Unit, at the Royal Derby Hospital.
To learn more about the Making Room for Dignity Programme, please visit the projects webpage.
