Kier has started construction work to develop a new mental health ward at Torbay Hospital for Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

The £11.8 million project was procured through the P22 framework, and when complete will provide a range of facilities, including treatment and therapy rooms, a family room, 16 en-suite bedrooms as well as offices for staff, a main reception and waiting area.

The new mental health ward will be constructed next to two other Devon Partnership NHS Trust wards, Haytor and Beech.

The works are to be completed in spring 2022.

Doug Lloyd, Operations Director at Kier Regional Building Western & Wales, said: "We are delighted to start work on the new adult inpatient ward for Devon Partnership NHS Trust. This new building follows our work on site in 2016 to successfully install a linear accelerator within the radiotherapy building and we look forward to providing further first-class facilities.

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"Working collaboratively with the DPT and the project team, we will utilise our skills and expertise in the healthcare sector to deliver this important new service."

Chief Executive Melanie Walker said: "This new ward will provide much-needed additional mental health beds for the county. As well as providing a safe, high quality environment for our staff and adults with mental health needs who require a stay in hospital, the new ward will mean that more people can be treated close to home. We know that this is a very important factor in people’s recovery and it means that family and friends do not have the added burden of having to travel long distances to visit their loved one at what can be a very challenging time. In the design of new services we always include people who have personal experience of mental health issues – they bring an invaluable perspective and their feedback helps to shape every aspect of the project. They are key members of our Clinical Reference Group for the new ward in Torbay and we are extremely grateful for their support."