The state-of-the-art hospital will supply short to medium term care for patients across the region.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust has welcomed a decision by Sefton Council’s Planning Committee to build a new 40-bed specialist hospital for people with learning disabilities at Maghull Health Park, Merseyside.
Outline planning permission was approved for a state-of-the-art hospital building that will supply short to medium term care for patients across the region.
The new hospital will be near Mersey Care centralised support services, conference, and training centre, as well as longstanding facilities and newer developments including the forthcoming Rowan View medium secure unit.
Mersey Care already provides adult specialist mental health, addiction, learning disability, and community health services in North West England and beyond.
Their clinical services are provided across over 120 sites with 8,000 staff to serve a population of 11 million people.
Mersey Care will go through a lengthy process to assure NHS England and Improvement that it has a sound business case for the new hospital, however, the Government has already committed £33 million to the project.
The new unit will cater for up to 40 men and women with a diagnosis of learning disability, autism and comorbid conditions, needing care and treatment in conditions of a low secure setting. Each patient will have their own bedroom with en-suite bathroom, plus a range of activity areas and therapeutic spaces.
Mersey Care’s Executive Director of Estates Elaine Darbyshire said: “This new hospital represents significant investment of £33 million that will offer world class care in a therapeutic environment. It will also enable us to work with sector partners to provide a new model of care for complex patients across the North West.”
Medical Director for Commissioning in NHS England and NHS Improvement North West, Dr Michael Gregory said: “We have asked Mersey Care to provide a new low secure unit for patients with complex care needs that gives the best modern-day standards of accommodation within a new model of care.
“Gaining planning consent is a significant step forward and once the project has met all of its statutory and regulatory objectives we believe this new facility will promote the delivery of high-quality care across a range of secure services we commission that reduces the length of stay for patients.”