Construction firm BAM has been selected by Betsi Cadwaladr University (BCU) Health Board to develop the detailed design for constructing a new inpatient adult and older persons mental health unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan near Rhyl in Wales.

The Welsh Government approved the Health Board's outline plans and the scheme can now proceed to a full assessment.

BAM's involvement builds on the excellent track record of schemes it has developed together with BCU including the cancer treatment centre and neo-natal intensive care unit.

The £84.5 million, 63-bed mental health facility would replace the existing care and support services which are presently provided at the hospital’s existing Ablett Unit and at the Bryn Hesketh inpatient older persons mental health facility in Colwyn Bay.

The plans include a 14-bed older person's mental health ward with en-suite facilities and improved recreational spaces. A 13-bed dementia care assessment unit will also be established. This will include provision for families and carers to stay with their loved ones overnight, as well as a secure courtyard, en-suite facilities to all bedrooms, and recreational and therapy spaces.

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There will also be two purpose-built 16-bed adult wards with a de-stimulation area on each ward, which will provide a safe nursing environment for high acuity patients, preventing the need for transfer to other mental health units.

An assessment suite to enable suitable patients to be moved from the Emergency Department in a timely manner is included, as is more outdoor and therapeutic space and better staff and family facilities.

The new building will provide acute inpatient mental health care to adults from Conwy, Denbighshire and parts of Flintshire, as well as a new Dementia Assessment Unit, incorporating the latest evidence on dementia supportive environments, and a dedicated crisis assessment area.

The project has been awarded to BAM under the NHS Building for Wales framework, NHS Wales’ construction procurement and delivery frameworks for major capital projects with construction costs in excess of £4million.

Subject to final approvals being secured construction is presently expected to begin in 2024 and complete in 2026.

Sustainability will be at the heart of the design, supporting the Welsh Government’s climate emergency approach. Biophilic design principles will be applied in the form of air-sourced heat pumps and photovoltaic cells on the roof of the new facility.

The BCU Health Board is the largest health organisation in Wales, providing primary, community, mental health and acute hospital services for approximately 676,000 people across North Wales and North Powys. It is responsible for the operation of three District General Hospitals, 22 additional acute and community hospitals, and over 90 health centres, clinics, community health team bases, and mental health units.

The design partners for the scheme are architects, Powell Dobson, structural engineers, Ramboll, M&E engineers, Arup, and MEP installers, Lorne Stuart. Gleeds will provide project management and cost advisor services to the BCU Health Board.