Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Seren Lodge is new specialist Mother and Baby Unit located in the heart of Chester. It is the first of its kind supporting families across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales, providing compassionate care for pregnant and postnatal women, experiencing severe mental illness such as postnatal depression, psychosis or relapse of existing mental health conditions.
Client
Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Location
Chester
Value
£5,000,000
Gross internal floor area
1150sqm
THE PROJECT
We repurposed and transformed a run-down/disused training centre on an existing hospital car park, into a new specialist, eight bed unit for perinatal mothers, babies and their families.
OUR APPROACH
Co-production was embedded from the earliest planning stages, with women who had previously used inpatient and community perinatal services contributing their insights, ideas and feedback. The name ‘Seren’ translates to ‘star’ in Welsh and was chosen by Mums with lived experience of maternal mental ill-health to signify hope and positivity.
WHAT WE DID
The existing building underwent major remodelling works including a new roof, structural flooring installation, full reprovision of its MEP infrastructure and enhancements to its building envelope. Along with the newly installed fireproofing works, this unit delivers the highest standard of safety for patients and staff.
THE IMPACT
Seren Lodge represents what can be achieved via the repurposing of an aging, derelict structure into a modern, therapeutic and productive inpatient setting. Genuine coproduction, imagination and a shared vision delivered inspiring environments that enhance service quality. When lived experience is valued alongside professional knowledge, the result is a mother and baby unit grounded in empathy, safety and recovery focused care.
