Kier and the West London Mental Health NHS Trust have celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of a new £43m mental health facility in Ealing, London.
Colin Lamb, managing director of Kier’s major projects business, joined trust chairman, Nigel McCorkhill, and chief executive, Steve Shrubb, to lay the last foundation stone on the new male medium-secure unit on the St Bernard’s site.
The event, which took place just five months after Kier began the demolition of the existing building and the project received Department of Health approval, signalled the completion of ground works and the 18-month countdown to completion of the new hospital.
The new 80-bed medium secure unit will provide fit-for-purpose accommodation and, in conjunction with the regional secure unit and Wells Unit, it will complete the Three Bridges Medium Secure Campus. The facility will include a primary healthcare suite and large communal gardens, and will support the recovery and rehabilitation process.
McCorkell said: “The progress this project has made in such a short space of time is outstanding. As well as a host of other improvements the new building will bring, it will allow us to meet commissioner requirements and plan further improvements for other Ealing services in the near future.
“Once open, we will be able to offer medium-secure service users appropriate accommodation and better working conditions for the staff delivering their treatment and care.”
Kier is scheduled to complete construction of the new unit in November 2015 and service users will be moved in during early 2016.
