Birch Hill Mental Health Centre faces uncertain future as costs soar and delays mount

A new build will “reduce ligature related issues and incidents of violence and aggression by mental health patients”, a report to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board says.

The report presented to the most recent meeting of the Trust board also states that a new build may “reduce the current inability to secure acute psychiatric beds”.

The Trust says that a delay in construction of the planned new £143m Birch Hill Mental Health Centre, at Bush Road, in Antrim, will continue to carry the risks associated with Holywell Hospital as well as the associated costs of maintaining the building.

The Trust’s annual health and safety report for the period between April 1 2022 and March 31 2023 shows 617 incidents of violence and aggression at Antrim’s Holywell Hospital; Antrim Hospital, 170; Ross Thomson Unit at Causeway Hospital, 73; Whitehaven Respite Unit, Whitehead, 17; Causeway Hospital, Coleraine 86; Armour Complex, Ballymoney, 25; George Sloan Adult Centre, Ballymena, 11; Hollybank Hostel, Magherafelt, 22 and Antrim Adult Centre, 24.

However, it has been stated the “major risk to the project is now that the ongoing Department of Health review of mental health projects across all Trusts will continue to extend the programme and the associated costs”.

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has expressed concern after the development of a new mental health facility ground to a halt.

Dr Petra Corr,  divisional director of mental health, learning disability and community well-being, noted the “vulnerability of the project” at the Trust board’s meeting in March, adding that as a result of the delay, she could not give an assurance on the project.

However, she reported that although finances are “in a challenging position,” it has not been “formally paused”.

She stated: “At this point, our plan and the proposal around the timeline of the building was that we would be receiving the building for commission on 31 December 2029 which is a delay already. We do not have the funding at this point in time to continue on to stage four.”

Planning permission for Birch Hill Mental Health Centre was approved by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council last June. At the time, it was expected to be completed by late 2028.

A 134-bed development is being planned by the Trust to replace Holywell Hospital. The proposed new facility will also replace the Ross Thomson Unit, an 18-bed acute admission ward at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.

The planned construction will comprise treatment wards, staff and visitor facilities, management and operational spaces, health and well-being facilities, external landscaping and gardens, car parking and servicing facilities.

Ground-floor en-suite rooms for patients have been designed to give direct access to safe outdoor space and facilitating ease of movement between departments. Links to nature and views towards the neighbouring countryside have been prioritised, to ensure the best possible environment to support recovery.

Meanwhile, no decision has been taken yet on the future of the Holywell Hospital premises which accommodates up to 400 staff members. It is a listed building which the Trust has a responsibility to maintain. 

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

Last week, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt had a chance to view plans for the new Birch Hill facility during a tour of Holywell Hospital and to meet staff and patients.

Dr Corr said: “Holywell was built in the 19th century. It was built very much on the design of an asylum with a big long corridor with all of the wards off the corridors.

“Our patients find that really difficult. They find it a difficult environment to come to and it is not the therapeutic milieu we would like it to be treating our patient population from the Northern area in. The minister had an opportunity to see that first-hand and to speak with staff around some of the challenges in that regard.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to share with the minister the plans that have been developed to date for the new build at Birch Hill. That is a replacement for our bed stock of acute mental health beds across Holywell and the Ross Thomson Unit, so a real opportunity for the minister to see the plans, to see the mock-up bedrooms that allow us to test out the furniture and the design and to see the opportunity that this affords our patients and our staff for a much improved mental health and therapeutic environment.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said:

“The outline business case for Birch Hill received Department of Health approval in August 2020. The estimated capital cost at that stage was £88m. Due to financial constraints, the Department could not allow the project to immediately proceed in its entirety but was able to provide approval for the initial design stage, estimated at £4.1m.

“Following the completion of this initial design phase, the capital cost estimate increased to £143m and the additional revenue requirement more than doubled to £1.4m per annum. The Trust was advised to reassess the project in terms of its strategic fit, scale and scope of service needs and range of feasible options to allow the Department to consider value for money and affordability before the project could progress to the tender stage. The Department has provided feedback to the Trust on the business case and awaits a resubmission.

“The demand for new capital investment out-strips the draft budget settlement for both capital and associated revenue costs and exceeds the capacity within estates teams. In these circumstances, the Department is undertaking a review to determine which projects will be progressed over the next few years.

“Since coming into office, the Health Minister has repeatedly warned of the consequences of below need levels of funding for the health services. Whilst he will continue to do all that he can to deliver investment and modern facilities right across the health estate, including the essential Birch Hill centre, regrettably, the funding that is needed is simply not being provided to the level that patients and staff require.”