Blessing for £40m health centre

Apr 20 2007 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

HOLY men are blessing the site of a new £40 million mental health centre to mark the 12-month countdown to its grand opening.

Religious leaders from nine faiths are giving a "spiritual launch" at the former Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital site, in Edgbaston.

The hospital is currently being transformed into the state-of-the-art Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, who have organised the multi-faith blessing, including Christians, Muslims and Hindus.

"This blessing with representatives from nine major faiths is designed to look back as well forward," said project director Alison Simpson.

"It will celebrate the work of the existing hospital on the site, the Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital, as well give its successor a spiritual launch."

"The trust will assume ownership of the hospital on April 18 next year and it should open its doors for patients two months after that."

Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital cared for patients with a variety of mental health issues under one roof.

But its replacement will have four separate units, including a 64-bed centre for patients from south Birmingham and a 10-bedded psychiatric intensive care unit.

It will also have a separate special 34 bed unit dedicated to women suffering mental health issues during pregnancy and post-natal depression with an inpatient ward tailored towards mothers and babies.

Medics will also focus on patients with dyslexia, anorexia and other eating disorders and deaf people with mental health problems.

The new hospital is part of a £70.3 million investment by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust into services, which includes two other units in Sparkhill and Moseley.

"Mental health issues are as common as heart disease and three times more common than cancer," said Sue Turner, chief executive of the trust.

"So it is right that people with such illnesses should expect the best possible treatment in the highest quality facilities."