A new 54-bed mental health facility, which will replace the old St Brendan's Hospital at Grangegorman in Dublin, has been handed over to the HSE by the Grangegorman Development Agency.

According to the HSE, this marks a ‘significant milestone' as it is the first major building project to be finished as part of the Grangegorman re-development project.

The new facility, to be known as the Phoenix Care Centre, will provide patients with their own rooms with en-suite facilities. It also has a psychiatric intensive care service and therapy and rehabilitation spaces.

"This uniquely designed mental health facility will provide a safe, secure and therapeutic environment for patients to receive the care they require in a modern environment. The completion of this facility will enable the HSE to improve access for patients to very high quality facilities and services," commented Anne O'Connor, area manager with the HSE Dublin North City.

Recently, the HSE lodged the three-month statutory notice of the closure of St Brendan's Hospital with the Mental Health Commission. Staff and patients are expected to move from the hospital to the new facility at the end of March.

St Brendan's has been in operation for almost 200 years and was the first public psychiatric hospital in Ireland.

Currently, it provides intensive care to people suffering from serious mental health problems who cannot be managed in general hospital units. It serves those in the greater Dublin area and the North East.

It also provides support to patients whose condition has improved, before their return to their local unit.

"The new facility's intensive care units will continue to provide services to patients from Dublin and the North East, with a focus on rapid access and early return to the local mental health services," the HSE said.