A major milestone on the new ‘state-of-the-art’ £105 m adult mental health inpatient unit, North View in Manchester, has been reached, with practical completion achieved and the building formally handed over to the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Work is already under way to familiarise and train staff on the use of the building. The impressive facility, purpose-built by main contractor, IHP, replaces Park House on the North Manchester General Hospital site, and is expected to open its doors to patients next month, providing 150 single bedrooms over nine single sex wards. It also includes a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, six Adults of Working Age wards, one Older Adults ward, and a rehabilitation ward.
Set to continue providing assessment and treatment for adults and older people with mental health needs, such as depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, and dementia, North View has been built to the latest environmental standards, and offers a therapeutic, modern environment for patients and workplace for staff, which will promote the integration of physical and mental wellbeing. Trust associate director of Capital, Estates & Facilities, and Project director for North View, Marc Reed, said: “We are delighted to have reached this important landmark in this exciting and transformative project – the culmination of significant investment and years of hard work. We are really looking forward to the building becoming fully operational, and providing the specialist environment for the benefit of our patients and the conditions for our staff to provide continuing high quality levels of care and support.”
Garry Bowker, Regional MD for VINCI Building, said: “North View has visibly transformed the working environment for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust staff, towards improving patient treatment and care. Its construction also enabled us to create significant employment, training, and education opportunities, and to invest in an on-site community skills centre to support local 16-24-year-olds furthest away from the labour market. This has helped close the construction skills gap in North Manchester.”