OLDER people using two wards of a Middlesbrough mental health hospital will be moved to allow "significant work" to rectify a number of construction defects.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust announced today that the problems at Roseberry Park include the hospital's fire safety system.

In the first phase it is expected 40 to 50 patients will be affected when one of the 'blocks' at Roseberry Park is emptied – with services in Westerdale North and South wards temporarily moving to Sandwell Park, Hartlepool.

During the work, Roseberry Park adults from Hartlepool and Easington will be admitted to their next nearest hospital.

Phase two involves rectification works on Westerdale, which once completed, will house services from other wards, allowing work to be carried out across the site.

Brent Kilmurray, the trust's chief operating officer, said: “We’ve reviewed a number of options and have a plan for decanting the hospital on a staged basis so that the necessary works can be carried out.

“Unfortunately we are unable to do this without moving some of our services temporarily but we will do everything we can to minimise the impact on service users, their families and staff.

"The safety of our patients, staff and visitors is our greatest concern."

The trust has been working with Three Valleys Healthcare, construction, and fire safety experts to decide the best way to tackle the problems.

Plans are being finalised and the trust hopes that the work will get underway by January 2018.