HISTORY was made this week when the new £18 million Hollins Park Hospital officially replaced what was once Europe's largest mental institution.

The 187-bed mental health development - the state-of-the-art successor to Winwick Hospital - has already received the Royal seal of approval after welcoming The Queen last year.

Now Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health, John Hutton MP, has given the government's backing to the emerging hospital as he visited the site on Wednesday.

Overseen by Warrington Community Health Care NHS Trust, services have been gradually transferred from the aging Winwick to community facilities and Hollins Park over the past five years.

Mr Hutton said: "There is no doubt at all that is is a very modern facility which is going to support the health care needs of the local population."

Accompanied by Trust chief executive Laura McMurtrie, Mr Hutton toured the 24-bed Sheridan Unit, which includes a mother-and-baby section and adult day provisions in the Bronte Unit.

Opportunities offering new beginnings to people with mental health problems, such as rehabilitation work in the Beckett and Browning units, were also showcased.

The hospital also provides acute care, for high dependency patients, day units for adults and the elderly and assessments for older people.

Once housing 2,5000 patients and used as a war hospital during World War 2, Winwick looks likely to be demolished to make way for a housing development.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.