PATIENTS with a mental illness are settling into a new £9 million unit built on the old Whittingham Hospital site, in Goosnargh, near Preston.

The purpose-built Guild Lodge, in Guild Park - formerly the site of Whittingham Hospital which closed four years ago - caters for medium secure patients who come to the unit for assessment and treatment from local courts, along with high dependency mental health patients from across Lancashire.

While completion was scheduled for last May the Community Guild Healthcare NHS Trust board were forced to put back the unveiling of the unit due to bad weather.

But now the 54-bed in-patient facility has opened its doors and drafted in more than 100 members of staff and support workers to cater for 1.5 million people.

The unit also provides pottery and computer skill classes, a new library, woodwork groups and a fully equipped gym and football area.

Nurse manager Sam Slinger said: "It is the relocation of an old service to a brand new unit and, so far, it has gone very well and is proving to be a success with both staff and patients in the gradual programme of rehabilitation."

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