Date published: 8 July 2021
After some preparatory work on its vacant Mossley Hill Hospital site, Mersey Care has commissioned a demolition contractor to begin removing the old buildings – paving the way for a future state of the art mental health facility for Liverpool.
The appointment of a demolition contractor, due to start on site later this month, coincides with a competitive tendering process currently under way to identify a major construction partner to build an 80-bed mental health hospital. Liverpool Sefton Health Partnership, an intermediary agency that works with many public bodies to help bring about improved health facilities, are assisting.
There has been a gradual relocation of services from the site over several years to other new or improved facilities, with all remaining inpatient and community mental health services moving off the Park Avenue site earlier this year. Despite Mersey Care’s best efforts to maintain the existing buildings the old hospital is no longer fit for purpose or safe to continue using.
Mersey Care is working with the local authority in compliance with planning regulations. Work also continues at a pace behind the scenes with NHS Improvement and NHS England to satisfy the funding approvals process and oversight by statutory regulators.
Our aim is to eradicate traditional shared dormitory-style mental health wards by providing:
- Single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms to promote privacy and dignity
- Therapeutic light and airy environments that include activity areas
- Facilities that promote recovery such as family visiting and multi-faith spaces
- Access to safe garden areas.
The redevelopment scheme falls under the banner of our ‘Liverpool 2 Project’ as it will be the second of a new generation of mental health hospitals created for the local communities of the city in recent years - the first being Clock View Hospital at Walton.
The demolition phase is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete. Neighbours overlooking the site and their ward representatives have been informed and further engagement is planned as key milestones in the redevelopment take place. It is hoped building work will start early in 2022 and the new hospital will be operational in 2024.
If you would like to keep updated about the project drop us a line to: Liverpool2