A £5MILLION mental health unit at an East Lancashire hospital is approaching completion.

Contractors Allenbuild North West are on target to meet the deadline date for work on the new unit at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

Work started in November 1999 and is due for completion next April. Workmen are putting the finishing touches to the roof of the two-storey triangular building which will provide in-patient and day care treatment for acute mentally ill patients from Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

The new unit will replace existing mental health care facilities as part of a major investment by Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust in all aspects of mental health, including extra community facilities and additional medical, nursing and social services staff.

The unit will have capacity for 72 in-patients each with individual bedrooms and en-suite facilities.