Rother District Council has welcomed the start of work on a new mental health hospital in Bexhill.

Construction work on the 54-bed Combe Valley Hospital in Mount View Street has officially started. The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust facility is set to open its doors to patients next year.

Councillor Christine Bayliss, RDC portfolio holder for regeneration and economic development, and Ben Hook, RDC director, place and climate change, joined representatives from the NHS and other organisations this week to help mark the milestone.

NHS bosses say the new hospital will provide modern, high-quality care for people who cannot be treated in the community. The facilities replace dormitory accommodation at the Department of Psychiatry at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Cllr Christine Bayliss, said: “We are delighted that work has officially started on this new facility in Bexhill. Not only will it be a welcome addition to health services in Bexhill and the rest of East Sussex, but it will also provide job opportunities in the area and boost the local economy. We look forward to its opening next year.”

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Published: 31st January 2024