WIGAN and Leigh NHS Trust has signed a contract to provide long term care for upto 15 people with mental health problems.

The deal with the UK's fifth largest provider of residential, nursing and specialist care, Craegmoor Healthcare, means that 11 patients, formerly resident in ward D2 at Billinge, are now being cared for at Delph Park Specialist Care Centre, Winwick.

The remaining four beds will be occupied by people from the community who would normally have been placed in Billinge.

Delph Park is a 102 bedded home, divided into four units and the former ward D2 residents have been moved to the Tennyson Unit, a 16-bedded centre for people over 30 with enduring mental health problems. House manager Tina Baxter said: "The move from a ward environment into a home means that residents will benefit from improved facilities, better community access and a more homely environment.

"They will now have their own single bed rooms and access to several living rooms, a coffee bar, extensive gardens and a courtyard.

"Overall residents will be more involved in the running of the home than they ever could be in a hospital environment which can only improve their quality of life."

Trish Anderson, genersl manager for mental health at Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, said: "Finding the right care and accommodation for this group of residents was a key step in our overall plans for improving mental health services.

"We are happy to be working in partnership with Craegmoor Healthcare who have a wealth of experience in this field."

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