Pepperell House
A new mental health ‘step down’ facility at Pepperell House on Bleke Street, Shaftesbury will be opening soon in January 2024.
The former accommodation for the elderly was donated by The Pepperell Blackmore Vale Society to the Friends of Westminster Memorial Hospital and it is now being leased to Dorset Healthcare.
Pepperell House will accommodate a maximum of eight people coming from inpatient care elsewhere. Residents will be assisted in regaining independence and managing mental health, aiming to reduce hospital readmissions and stay for between 4 and 12 weeks.
North Dorset has had no inpatient beds for several years following first the closure of Waterloo Lodge between Shaftesbury and Gillingham (which is still an empty building) and then subsequently the closure of the slightly further afield ward at Sherborne Hospital.
A public open day is scheduled for Monday 18th December between 2 pm and 7 pm.
The Alfred Daily has published an interview with Julian Pritchard, Chairman of the Friends of Westminster Hospital.
LISTEN TO JULIAN AND LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECT: https://traffic.libsyn.com/…/thealfreddaily/091223.mp3…
