May's poem inspires visitors to health unit

May will transfer from Lakeside at Leigh Infirmary to the impressive new Atherleigh Park when it opens in the next few weeks.

The verse which she wrote after a staff member lost her sister is to be put on display in the child visiting room to give inspiration to families.

May said: “I wanted to tell my colleague that people were there for her and so were her friends.

“It spiralled from there. One of the managers saw it and asked if we could put it up. It’s telling people they are not on their own.”

The new facility has been build on the former site of Leigh East amateur RL club and every patient will have their own room rather the present dormitories in the current building.

There are 48 ensuite bedrooms for vulnerable adults with mental ill health - a 20-bed male and 20-bed bed female ward and an eight-bed psychiatric intensive care unit. Other facilities include communal areas for relaxing and eating, a sports hall, gym and therapy rooms.

The hospital also has a 16-bed unit for older people with mental health issues and the largest area has 26 beds to provide short-stay immediate care for patients with dementia and there is a separate entrance to an area for people being brought in by the police rathwer tha taking them past other people.

Simon Barber chief executive at 5Boroughs Partnership Trust said: “This is a facility the Wigan and Leigh community and indeed the North West can be proud of.”