A new ‘village campus’ will bring secure psychiatric services together onto a single site for the first time as work begins on improvements to Northgate Hospital in Morpeth.

Sir Robert McAlpine has begun construction of the new £60m development, which has been commissioned by NTW Solutions - Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

Designed by Medical Architecture it will act as the catalyst to allow all secure services across the trust to be brought together from currently-dispersed sites into a single, integrated secure centre of excellence. 

Developed around the concept of a ‘village campus’, the new medium-secure hospital at the heart of the development provides a wide variety of indoor and outdoor settings for relaxation and activity, relieving boredom and lowering the risk of challenging behaviours and poor physical health.

Old and new

The facility will provide 116 male inpatient beds, located in a combination of new and reconfigured buildings. 

The new-build element will provide inpatient accommodation for 74 male patients with a range of forensic mental health needs, including patients with complex personality disorders and learning disabilities.Landscaping is key to the scheme, with the eastern part of the site covered by a broad area of mature woodland, which can be viewed from within the building. 

The campus has also been configured to ensure that as many spaces as possible, both inside and out, offer opportunities for mitigating boredom and provide a meaningful day for patients. 

This is achieved in a range of settings; from bedrooms to living spaces; sheltered gardens to open courtyards; and opportunities for both structured and unstructured activity and sports, including an outdoor ‘kickabout’ area and a sports barn. 

The six inpatient wards are paired together and arranged around the large, shared recreation space. 

At the centre of each ward is a landscaped courtyard for relaxation and between each pair is an activity courtyard, marked out for exercise and sporting activities. 

This arrangement offers access to a variety of different types of space, with a focus on mental and physical wellbeing.

Challenging stigma

In each ward the bedrooms are arranged to face outwards, with views across to the surrounding woodland. 

And the majority of the day activity and living space is at the centre of the ward, with easy access to the outdoor areas. 

Abundant daylighting, views and a sense of spaciousness contribute to the therapeutic effectiveness of the environment and play an important role in patient treatment and rehabilitation. 

A consistent and controlled palette of materials and architectural styles has been developed to integrate the building with the most-recent additions to the site and to present a positive image for visitors and new arrivals.

The use of a Birtley brick, especially at lower levels, ensures a robust material that is locally sourced, and provides a shared point of character to the nearby buildings. 

And the deep-red metal cladding used to unite some areas of the façade and to highlight entrance spaces, provides a contrasting element of verticality in what is a strongly-horizontal building.Paul Yeomans, director at Medical Architecture, said: "It's fantastic to see this important project being realised. 

“The process has been incredibly complex with numerous challenges for the team, but the redevelopment will deliver amazing facilities for patients and staff.”John Carson, head of capital developments and planning at NTW Solutions - Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, added: “These exciting projects mark just the latest in a long line of service innovations and investment in the trust’s buildings to ensure that our service users have access to safe, high-quality care, and demonstrate the trust’s commitment to collaborative partnership working as the route to the best results.”