Mersey Care end dormitory wards in Liverpool

Approval for a state of the art new mental health hospital in Liverpool has been granted by the Treasury and Department of Health and Social Care, paving the way for the end of dormitory wards in the city.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s will deliver four 20 bed wards with the new hospital, which will consolidate services from across Liverpool on the site of the old Mossley Hill Hospital. Plans for the new building on Park Avenue have been subject to extensive public engagement going back to 2016.

Last year a competitive tendering process took place overseen by Liverpool Sefton Health Partnership (LSHP). Construction giants GRAHAM were chosen as the preferred build partner because of their wide experience including numerous health sector projects and architects Gilling Dod have worked with service users, carers and stakeholders to create the modern, airy designs for the hospital.

Beatrice Fraenkel, Chairman of Mersey Care, said:

“This news allows us to give the people of Liverpool what they need – the very best care in a modern, therapeutic environment with single en suite facilities and easy access to gardens and open space.

Our current inpatient estate has been identified as a limiting factor in service users’ recovery. More than that, by delivering better buildings we’re also setting newer and higher standards in mental health care for everyone.”

The old Mossley Hill hospital was a mixture of buildings dating from 1938. It was demolished last year whilst retaining the historic mansion building on Park Avenue. Material from the older buildings were crushed for re-use on site as future building materials, as part of a clear environmental strategy for the hospital which also includes trees, gardens, cycle parking and car charging points.

Mersey Care’s Executive Director of Estates, Elaine Darbyshire, said:

“Building an 80 bed facility is a major investment in care to the people of Liverpool. It’s important for our staff and for those building the hospital.

As a Trust, we’ve seen major new sites built at Clock View in Walton in 2015, Rowan View in Maghull in 2020 and Southport’s Hartley Hospital, as well as refurbishing other sites such as Leigh Moss near Alder Hey.

We’re also part way through building a low secure hospital, and so this latest approval continues Mersey Care’s radical reshaping of care for our patients. I’d like to use this opportunity to invite professionals to join us, in clinical roles, as well as in facilities, support and administrative jobs, across our wide range of services.”

“This news enables people with mental health needs to know they will have a therapeutic environment to rest and recover from their crisis episode,”

added Mrs Darbyshire,

“We’re really looking forward to seeing our new hospital with all of its en suite single bedroom accommodation, fulfilling a national pledge in improving care standards.”

The name for the new building, which must conform to a number of criteria for accessibility and appropriateness, is being discussed online on the Trust’s website. People are invited to offer possible hospital names for a final decision by Mersey Care in the autumn.

Final approval from HM Treasury came this week after the Department of Health agreed the plans last month, allowing construction work to start as planned in September. Across England, more than £400 million will be committed over the next four years to eradicate dormitory accommodation from mental health facilities to improve the safety, privacy and dignity of patients.

Locals are kept informed of plans with regular leaflet drops and there are open day events planned throughout the construction period. The new site is expected to open in 2024.

Creating a safe and attractive playground for Picton Nursery

Picton Children’s Centre first approached Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership late last year to request three tree stumps to be cut to ground level and the roots ground out, as they were causing a trip hazard for the children. After further discussion with facilities management provider, Integral, it was agreed that lifecycle funding could be used for resurfacing the playground, with works being completed in January 22.

Integral commented:

An immediate site visit was arranged when we became aware of the trip hazard in order to assess the health & safety risk and a plan of action was quickly agreed between all parties.

The first and most important stage was to remove the tripping hazard as soon as possible. Therefore, Integral proposed a couple of different options to the landlord/nursery and it was decided that the best option would be for the exposed tree roots to be ground down and then cavities created would be covered with soil in order to create a level and safer playing area for the children.

Further discussions took place regarding how the area could be improved and all parties agreed that the trodden grass and soil was not an appropriate surface for young children to be using on a daily basis, especially in the winter. Consequently, Integral was able to obtain approval for replacing the existing surface with wet pour rubber soft surfacing earlier this year.

The collaborative approach between the landlord, nursery and Integral meant that the groundwork could be completed in a timely manner and then the new surface was installed shortly after.

Integral are very pleased that they have been able to contribute to a safe and attractive playground that can be used all year round by the children at the Picton Surestart nursery.

Providing disadvantaged young people with opportunities to make memories, and build confidence

Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership (LSHP) is proud to announce its support for Sea Cadets 2022 ‘On the Water’ programme. The support from LSHP sits alongside funding from BDH Community Ventures, North London Estates Partnership and gbpartnerships foundation, providing fully funded opportunities for 9–14-year-olds from under-privileged backgrounds to take part in a series of water-based activities.

On the Water will take place in Liverpool, Birmingham and London across the Summer, providing participants with the chance make new friends, learn new skills, build their confidence, increase their health and wellbeing through exercise, have fun and leave with a recognised sailing qualification at the end of the programme.

LSHP and gbpartnerships will work with the Sea Cadets to engage with community organisations operating within the postcode areas that the BDH LIFT estate is located. This work will specifically aim to reach disadvantage young people living within postcode areas that are in close proximity to LIFT buildings. The LIFT estate will also be used to promote the On the Water programme and work of the Sea Cadets along with plans to use the buildings for the delivery of first aid training for Cadets and host events.

Mr Martin Coles CBE, CEO Sea Cadets commented:

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone at BDH Community Ventures, Liverpool & Sefton Health Partnership, North London Estates Partnership and gbpartnerships for their support in making our On the Water outreach programme a reality for so many young people this year.

Sea Cadets looks forward to offering life changing experiences for young people that would otherwise have no opportunity to sail, paddle, kayak and more. For so many these experiences will be an eye-opener to the world of maritime adventures, qualifications and even careers.”

Sea Cadets are the UK’s largest maritime youth development charity, training 14,000 young people every year. Learning life skills through water-based activities. Sea Cadets have 400 Units and 9,000 Volunteers, all helping young people achieve their ambitions and goals through skills training & development.

The On the Water programme has been successful at reaching out to hard-to-reach groups, with 8 in 10 young people who attended in 2021 matching at least one category which qualifies them as hard-to-reach.

Feedback from Parent, Birmingham site:

“My children participated in On the Water 2021. They thoroughly enjoyed their time and learnt some fantastic new skills…... My three have never experienced such activities and I doubt I’ll afford something like it again. I wish something like this was available more often. I would like to thank Megan, Jane and all the other staff for all their hard work and time.”