The trust said new data showed reportable incidents fell by 55%, violence and aggression incidents by 58%, and patient-on-patient incidents by 61% in the five months following the move.<\/p>\n
A trust spokesperson told Nursing Times that, prior to reopening, the overall number of incidents reported in the old-style wards was 293, falling to 166 afterwards.<\/p>\n
For violence and aggression, the old wards reported 76 incidents, which dropped to 43 following the move to the new accommodation.<\/p>\n
The initial figures date from May 2025 and the figures since patients moved into the hospital were taken in March 2026, said the spokesperson.<\/p>\n
The \u00a330m redevelopment was part of the national programme to remove dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities and create more modern, therapeutic spaces for care.<\/p>\n
The trust highlighted that the new hospital has been designed to create a calmer and more therapeutic environment for patients, families and staff.<\/p>\n
Bedrooms are organised into zoned areas to support privacy and safety, while every ward has direct access to outdoor terraces and gardens.<\/p>\n
In addition, is said that natural light, warm timber finishes and carefully planned spaces help the hospital feel welcoming.<\/p>\n
The trust added that the move had also had a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of nursing staff.<\/p>\n
For example, it has seen a 22% improvement in registered nurse vacancy rates and an 11% improvement in healthcare support worker vacancy rates since opening.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the trust highlighted that the redevelopment project also kept mental health care at the \u201cheart of the local community\u201d.<\/p>\n
Edward Street Hospital sits close to West Bromwich High Street, continuing a long history of healthcare on the site and helping challenge the stigma that can surround mental health services.<\/p>\n
It also noted that the new entrance, caf\u00e9 and courtyard had been designed to feel open and inclusive, with the hospital remaining connected to the community rather than hidden away.<\/p>\n
And, in parts of the new building, patient bedrooms sit just metres from the pavement, an \u201cunusually visible and confident approach\u201d for a mental health facility, said the trust.<\/p>\n
Carolyn Green, chief nursing officer and deputy chief executive at Black Country Healthcare, said: \u201cThese results are incredibly encouraging and reflect the difference that the right care environment can make.<\/p>\n
\u201cReductions in violence, aggression and patient incidents mean people are feeling safer, more settled and better supported during their recovery,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"Edward](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Picture2-1024x683.webp\")
<\/p>\n
Edward Street Hospital<\/p>\n
Jackie Stevens, divisional director of nursing for older adults and talking therapies at the trust, said: \u201cEvery day we are seeing how the design of the building supports safer, more therapeutic care.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur staff worked incredibly hard to prepare for the move, and it is rewarding to see the positive difference the new environment is making for patients, families and colleagues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Stevens added: \u201cEdward Street Hospital has been a longstanding part of this community. The new building continues that legacy while giving patients and staff the modern facilities they deserve.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor older adults, people living with dementia and families going through very difficult moments, this environment helps us provide care with compassion, safety and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reports of violence, aggression and patient incidents have fallen by more than half at a trust, following the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529759,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[103,61,60,410,411],"class_list":["post-529758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529758\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/529759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}