Public consultation is the next stage in plan for new £80m mental health facility

A public consultation is the next stage in the proposed development of a new £80m mental health facility, to be known as Birch Hill, which is planned for the site of Antrim Hospital, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has heard.
By Michelle Weir
Published 29th May 2023, 16:39 BST
An impression of what the new facility, to be known as Birch Hill, could look likeAn impression of what the new facility, to be known as Birch Hill, could look like
An impression of what the new facility, to be known as Birch Hill, could look like

Updating members at a board meeting Petra Corr, director of mental health, learning disability and community well-being, said a public consultation on the development proposal is expected to take place in August.

The 134-bed building will replace the existing Holywell Hospital at Steeple Road in Antrim.

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Holywell Hospital was built in 1898 to accommodate 1,000 patients with the three ‘Tobernaveen’ wards opening in the 1950s. Holywell Hospital has approximately 116 acute in-patient beds.

It is anticipated that the proposed new facility will be open in 2026/27.

The future of the Holywell Hospital site which accommodates up to 400 workers has yet to be decided. It is a listed building which the trust has a responsibility to maintain.

In a presentation to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in 2021, councillors were told by Northern Health and Social Care Trust officials of a lack of single bedrooms resulting in “poor observation of patients”, no separate provision for “frail mentally ill patients”, limited access to outdoor space with family visiting, dining and activity space described as “inadequate” at Holywell Hospital.

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“We want to create an environment focused on patient-centred care. We want to reduce stigma associated with being in a mental health hospital,” said Richard Bakasa, Northern Trust’s assistant director, mental health and in-patient services, at the time.

The findings of a report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office released last week were also highlighted at the trust board meeting by chief executive Jennifer Welsh.

The report states mental health problems in Northern Ireland are approximately 25% higher than in England.

One in five adults shows signs of mental health problems with an estimated one in eight young people experiencing anxiety and depression. This prevalence has been linked with both greater levels of deprivation in Northern Ireland and with the impact of the Troubles, the report says.

Approximately, 16,000 patients are on a waiting list, almost 20% higher than pre-pandemic, the report notes.

Related topics:Northern Health and Social Care TrustNewtownabbey Borough Council