Work starts on Yorkshire mental health unit

Interserve has started work on site for a new £14.5M mental health inpatient unit for young people in West Yorkshire.

The joint venture between Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is being built on the former St Mary’s Hospital site in Armley, Leeds.

Interserve has been on site since February 2020 completing the enabling works, including demolition of some existing buildings, and will now be starting work on the new building.

The new unit will provide 22 inpatient beds and facilities for children and young people across West Yorkshire. This will include a range of spacious and therapeutic areas, including a multi-purpose activity room, educational facilities, a family visiting room, courtyards and a green communal space for service users and staff.

Paul Ellenor, Regional Director, Interserve Construction, said: “We are pleased to be working with our NHS partners to deliver this new mental health care facility in West Yorkshire.

“At Interserve, we are committed to investing in the communities in which we live and work; and we will look to maximise local supply chain involvement as well as generating skills and employment opportunities within the Leeds area.”

The unit is due to be open from September 2021.