Photo: Cheryl Gillan MP, Julie Waldron (OBMH CEO) and Janet Godden (OBMH Chair)

Cheryl Gillan, the MP for Amersham and Chesham, performed the official opening of Thames House, the women’s enhanced secure service based on the Littlemore site in Oxford, on 23 Friday January 2009. The unit, which is made up of Kestrel Ward and Kingfisher Ward, has been open for patients for some time, which meant that patients as well as staff were able to take part in the official opening ceremony.

Cheryl Gillan, who is also Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, was given a guided tour of both wards by Dr Julia Cartwright and Lynda Dix, the Ward Manager for Thames House. She met patients and was able to see all of the facilities at Thames House, as well as displays and artwork by patients.

Mrs Gillan commented, “It was a privilege to be invited to open the Thames House facility by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. These services provide essential care. The support given to individuals and families is really important. I was very impressed by Thames House. It is a fabulous facility. The new building is bright and modern. Mental health services are a key part of health provision within the NHS, so I am pleased that the Trust has been able to make these improvements.”