A SPECIALIST centre to cater for mentally ill older people is to be opened in Darlington.
The £4m unit is to be part of an expansion at the newly-planned hospital at West Park in Faverdale.
County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, which looks after people with learning disabilities, health problems and substance misuse, is spending more than £20m on relocating its services.
The Pierremont Unit in Darlington and The Gables Unit in Sedgefield are to be relocated to the Faverdale site.
The scheme is to be funded through the Government's Private Finance Initiative and includes both in patient and out patient facilities.
The new wing will replace facilities on the Beaumont ward at Darlington Memorial Hospital and the Faverdale Day hospital.
Chief executive of the Priority Services Trust Sandy Taylor said: "I am absolutely delighted that this scheme has been given the green light.
"The West Park development is an extremely exciting proposal combining state-of-the-art facilities with the development of a new model of care service.
"Older people with mental health problems have very specific needs and we place great importance on that."
The unit will cater for older people from both Darlington and Teesdale.
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