Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital’s Grand Opening Day

On Wednesday 7th October we held our grand opening event at Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital, our new state-of-the-art Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) hospital in Coventry.

Due to open for admissions in the next few weeks, the service will support young people aged between 12 and 18 with mental health needs in psychiatric intensive care and low secure environments. The aim of the service is to help young people stabilise and return home as soon as possible.

The hospital has been named after Joyce Parker, a caring and dedicated support worker at one of our services in the West Midlands who sadly passed away during the COVID pandemic.

Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital was opened with great pride and emotion by Joyce’s husband, Darren Parker, who joined hospital staff at a special, socially distanced, ribbon cutting ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Darren said: “Joyce worked all her life mostly as a support worker and got on with everybody, she was brilliant at her job.

“When Cygnet asked me if they could name the hospital after her I beamed, cried and accepted. She loved all her children and grandchildren and we miss her terribly but we would like to thank Cygnet for this amazing recognition.”

Mr Parker was joined at the ceremony by other family members who also listened to Joyce’s colleague and friend, Pauline Blair-Manuel, sing Amazing Grace in tribute.

You can view the speeches at the opening event and Pauline’s moving performance on the video below.

Speaking after her performance Pauline, who is the receptionist at Cygnet Heathers in West Bromwich, said: “I was honoured to be invited to sing at the official opening and wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to join Joyce’s family, friends and colleagues to remember her. Joyce knew I was a gospel singer and had always wanted to hear me sing so I chose a song that I love and I could picture her face as I performed. It was a very moving occasion and I was so proud to be part of it.”

Nick Ruffley, Managing Director for Cygnet Health Care (North) said: “We have been looking forward to the opening of Cygnet Joyce Parker Hospital which will bring much-needed CAMHS beds to the area. This is also about celebrating Joyce Parker, who was part of the team at Meadows Mews, our residential neuropsychiatric service.

“She is a great loss to Cygnet, colleagues and the residents that she cared for and supported. She showed care and compassion in everything that she did and she would often mentor staff, particularly the younger ones. I’m pleased and proud that we can continue her legacy naming this hospital after her.”

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