The family of a former Wigan Borough nurse have officially opened a new unit in her name at Leigh Infirmary.
A special event was held at the new Jean Heyes Reablement Unit on Friday 2nd September, as members of Jean’s family cut the ribbon and unveiled a commemorative plaque in front of gathered guests and staff from the unit.
The unit is named after Jean Heyes who was part of the WWL family for more than 50 years before she retired in 2018. Jean was a passionate supporter of reablement care and worked at the old Whelley Hospital, as well as being the Staff Side Chair at WWL for many years.
Welcoming guests to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (WWL) Leigh Infirmary site, Chair, Mark Jones reflected on the naming of the unit:
“With the wellbeing of patients and staff always at the forefront of her working life, Jean was a real character and will be fondly remembered by all who knew her. It is our honour to name the unit after Jean, as part of her legacy to healthcare throughout the Wigan Borough.
“I was delighted to formally invite Jean’s family to officially open the unit, and also to have such esteemed guests from the Healthier Wigan Partnership and our MP for Leigh, James Grundy, in attendance. The unit is just one part of our plans to further invest in services at Leigh for the benefit of all of our patients across the Wigan Borough.”
The unit, which is an expansion of WWL’s community bed base, is made up of 24 beds, a dedicated rehab gym and an activities of daily living kitchen to support intensive reablement therapy. Care is delivered by a range of health and social care professionals including therapists, nurses, GPs, hospital consultants, and social care staff.
The model of care in place at the unit is an innovative approach within the Wigan Borough, something WWL Chief Executive, Silas Nicholls, speaks passionately about:
“The Jean Heyes Reablement Unit is something the entire Wigan Borough can be proud of. The collective skills and knowledge we have within a multi-disciplinary team, made up of colleagues from partners across health and social care services means we can use this fantastic new facility to its full potential.
“The unit shares the same philosophy as our Community Assessment Unit at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary and is dedicated to the holistic assessment and treatment of some of the more frail and elderly patients care for through WWL’s services.
“The care being provided not only focuses on physical health but also social and emotional wellbeing, with the aim of helping patients recover and return home more quickly in a safe and supported manner, giving them the opportunity to make the most of their potential to continue to live an independent and fulfilling life.”