WIDNES is to get a new mental health treatment facility following the opening of Halton Hospital's new multi-million pound centre in September.

Land has already been bought in the town for the 10-bed unit at Miners Way, near to the site of the old Widnes market.

Details as to when the project may start are not yet finalised.

The news comes as Halton Hospital's new Brooker Centre gears up for its opening on September 7th.

The new centre will have beds for 73 patients, who would previously have been sent to Winwick Hospital for treatment.

it will also contain a new day centre and office premises.

Social services are also to become involved in treatment, with an outreach team to be based at the centre.

This unit will liaise with hospital psychiatric staff to support patients in their own homes to keep them out of hospital if possible.

The Brooker Centre has been in the news in recent months for failing to accommodate a psychotherapy group which has been based at Halton Hospital's existing mental health site - the Pine Day Unit - for a number of years.

A decision was taken to refuse the Attitudinal Awareness Group use of the new complex.

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