TWO years after the first piece of turf was cut, West Park Hospital in Darlington celebrated its official opening on Thursday.

The £20m hospital will provide people with mental health problems with a modern, safe and homely environment.

All of the 116 bedrooms are on the ground floor and each ward has its own therapy garden.

The hospital opened at the end of December last year and bosses say feedback from service users, staff and visitors has been very positive.

Each adult ward now has its own occupational therapist, which has led to an increase in ward-based activities. There is a gym with an instructor and access to complimentary therapies.

Sandy Taylor, chief executive of the trust, said: "The quality of the environment is an extremely important factor when treating people with mental health problems.

"Our aim was to create an environment where patients would feel safe and where our staff would be able to provide high quality, therapeutic care in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

"West Park Hospital has exceeded our expectations and we now have a first-class facility providing first-class mental health care."

Darlington MP Alan Milburn, who attended the official opening, said: "It is just over two years since the start of building work on this development and back then I could not have imagined such an impressive facility.

"The standard of accommodation and the quality of services provided here is excellent and all those who have been involved in the development of West Park Hospital and the services provided here should be very proud of what they have achieved."

The hospital replaces the outdated Pierremont Unit, next to Darlington Memorial Hospital, the Beaumont Ward in the Memorial Hospital, and the Gables Unit at Sedgefield.

The hospital was built under the government's Private Finance Initiative and is part funded by three North-East Primary Care Trusts.