Cygnet Elowen Hospital, a new 24-bedded facility in Shipley, Heanor that will provide specialist care for those living with eating disorders, personality disorders, and associated mental health difficulties, held its grand opening last month.
Split across two specialist wards, the new hospital will – Cygnet says – ‘offer vital support closer to home at a time when demand for mental health services continues to rise’.
The ribbon-cutting was led by Councillor Alan Abernethy, Mayor of Heanor and Loscoe, joined by Cygnet staff, NHS partners, local dignitaries, and a former eating disorder patient who now works as an Expert by Experience, supporting others undergoing treatment. “It’s a privilege to welcome Cygnet Elowen Hospital to our community,” said Cllr Abernethy. “This state-of-the-art facility will not only offer life-changing support to adults across Derbyshire and beyond, but also create valuable jobs and investment right here in Heanor and Loscoe.”
Cygnet Elowen Hospital comprises two wards named by current and former patients at Cygnet Nield House in Crewe: Nova (meaning ‘new star’), for male and female eating disorder patients, and Alina (meaning ‘light’), for women with personality disorder and disordered eating. Working closely with people who have lived experience, the hospital team shaped the building’s layout, furnishings, colour palette, and artwork ‘to create a calming, therapeutic environment where patients can focus on recovery close to home’.
Cygnet CEO, Dr Tony Romero, said: “Demand for high-quality eating disorder services continues to rise nationally, and we know that timely, specialist support close to home can make a critical difference in someone’s recovery journey. With the opening of Cygnet Elowen Hospital, we are not only increasing our ability to help more people, but ensuring that care is delivered in a way that is compassionate, personalised, and grounded in clinical excellence.”