New Hellesdon NHS Rivers Centre opened by Lord Adebowale

Lord Victor Olufemi Adebowale unveiled a commemorative plaque at the Rivers Centre Hub in Hellesdon.

He described the centre as “somewhere going forward” during the ceremony.

The three new wards form part of a £55 million development at the Hellesdon Hospital site, operated by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

Zoë Billingham, chair of NSFT, said: “We are delighted he was able to do the honours and officially open the Rivers Centre.”

Rivers Centre (Image: Supplied)

The new centre has been designed with patient wellbeing and recovery in mind, featuring therapeutic spaces, a gym, a community hub with a café and private en suite bedrooms.

Sustainability was a key focus in the design, with power supplied by solar panels and heating via air source heat pumps.

Service user Beatrice, who helped shape the project, said: “To have single rooms with a shower is amazing.

“It really makes a huge difference to people getting better.”