Topping out ceremony marks milestone for £105 million NHS mental health unit in Manchester

A major milestone for Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s (GMMH) new flagship adult mental health inpatient unit has been reached with a topping out ceremony on Thursday 21 September marking the completion of the highest point of the build and the last piece of steel frame being fixed in place.

Work commenced on the construction of North View on the North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) site in August 2022. The new mental health unit is the largest capital project that GMMH has undertaken.

GMMH’s Deputy Chief Executive, Andrew Maloney, Chair of Manchester Foundation Trust, Kathy Cowell, NHS England’s Regional Delivery Director, Tom Myers, and Chief Executive of NMGH, Ian Lurcock, formally marked the occasion alongside representatives from GMMH’s Principal Supply Chain Partner, Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine.

North View is a 150-bedroom adult unit set to provide much-needed space and modern facilities for adults with mental health needs from across Manchester.

The £105m development will see the creation of a state-of-the-art inpatient unit hosting spacious single bedrooms, each with a private en-suite shower room, as well as a variety of indoor activity areas, meeting rooms for family visiting, multiple gardens, spaces for therapeutic artwork and a café.

The steel frame of the construction has now been completed and work continues to clad the exterior to make the build watertight and enable the interior fittings and first-fix electrical and mechanical works to commence.

Marc Reed, Associate Director of Capital, Estates & Facilities for GMMH and Project Director for North View, said: “We continue to make fantastic progress on the new unit and remain on programme for North View being complete and ready for patients in autumn 2024. The ‘topping out’ ceremony marked the installation of the final piece of steelwork in the buildings super-structure, with the development now really taking shape.

“I’m really pleased to see us reach this important milestone in the project, with our fantastic new development a step closer to reality. 

“We are continuing to engage with communities to influence the interior design of North View and it’s exciting to see the next phases develop as construction rapidly progresses.”

Andrew Maloney, GMMH’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “I was honoured to attend the topping out ceremony and see first-hand the progress that has been made on this state-of-the-art mental health inpatient unit. It is fantastic to see the building taking shape, giving an insight into the life-changing development it is going to become. 

“This is more than just a building – it will be a unique healthcare setting that will benefit and serve the local community for years to come. The project is close to the hearts of those involved, including service users, carers and clinicians who have supported decisions on the design of the building so that we can deliver the best possible care for patients. It’s a massive investment for our local communities and I’m looking forward to it being fully up and running.”

The development is part of an exciting vision for North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) to improve health and wellbeing for local people over the next 10 to 15 years. It will replace the Park House mental health unit, which currently serves as the inpatient unit for the area, and is being built in an alternative location on the hospital site. This will allow the new development to be fully constructed without disturbing current patients and the day-to-day operation of services.