Ground preparation work is underway for a new mental health hospital in London’s Highgate East. 

Construction of the new-build facility, which will replace the ageing St Pancras Hospital buildings, comes after over 18 months of design discussion with service users, carers, staff and other local stakeholders.The hospital will house five wards across four floors, with single en-suite bedrooms, dedicated therapy spaces, landscaped areas, and a boulevard that opens onto the street with a public café, supporting social inclusion and the destigmatision of mental illness. 

It will be located opposite the existing Highgate Mental Centre to create a single inpatient campus for mental healthcare.

Developed as part of the St Pancras Transformation Programme, the new hospital will provide the best-possible environment for patient recovery and the spaces and facilities staff need to rest and provide the very-best care.

Malcolm McFrederick, St Pancras Transformation Programme director, said: “Our new building has been designed to fully support recovery and wellbeing in a modern, therapeutic and non-stigmatising setting.

“It will offer single, en-suite rooms for all, access to outdoor space from each ward, and other spaces to support our service users during their hospital stay – such as activity space and a family visiting room.”

Akin Durowoju, project director at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The new building tackles many of the challenges we currently face at St Pancras Hospital. 

“This includes important issues such as accessibility and sustainability. 

“The new building will be fully wheelchair accessible, environmentally friendly, and sustainable.” 

“From solar panels, green walls and brown roofs to support eco-diversity, we are taking the opportunity to do everything we can to become a greener NHS and protect our climate.”