Earls House Hospital

Infobox Hospital
Name = PAGENAME
Org/Group = Tees, Esk, and Wear Valleys NHS Trust



Location = Durham
Region = County Durham
State = England
Country = UK
HealthCare = NHS
Type = Learning Disabilities / Psychiatric
Speciality =
Emergency = No
Affiliation= Unknown
Beds =
Founded =
Closed =
Website = [http://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ Homepage]
Wiki-Links = |

"Earls House Hospital" is ran by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, who also run St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough and West Park Hospital in Darlington. It formery served as the headquarters for the old County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS trust.

Earls House lies on a large green field site just north west of Durham city. Earls House began as a vocational residential school for the lesser academic children. It slowly developed into a learning disability hospital. By 1928, it became known as Earls House Sanatorium. It is spread over a very spacious site. The original red brick sections of the hospital provide offices for County Durham Primary Care Trust. Many of the newer 'villas' which became used as the main housing for people with learning disabilities closed down in the 1990s when Care in the community was seen to be the only way at most costs. Most of the villas are now disused or used for administration and training. The hospital now also provides a small general outpatient facility which includes a dental clinic and a wheelchair and hearing aid service. There is also a large restaurant on the site.

The site hosts offices for Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust, County Durham Primary Care Trust, regional internal audit services and training facilities for the North East Ambulance Service.

Learning Disability ServicesThree villas on site provide inpatient care for people with learning disabilities (most people with severe learning disabilities in County Durham are cared for in private homes or smaller NHS-run houses). One of the villas at Earls house is a respite care treatment centre, one a long stay residence and one for forensic learning disabilies. The hospital is also home to the regional behavioral support team for learning disability.

Mental Health Services for Older PeopleThe modern Bowes Lyon Unit, provides 2 wards for the elderly organic and functional psychiatry and a day unit and clinic.

Two villas in the hospital are currently used for elderly people with severe challenging behaviors who cannot be placed in appropriate care homes.

Adult Mental Health Services One of the villas has recently be converted into a small residential special care mental health unit, to replace part of the region's demolished Winterton hospital.

Shortly the County Hospital, Durham, will be relocated to this site and a new purpose built unit will be constructed to house the two adult psychiatric wards from the County Hospital and a further elderly psychiatric ward on a different site which was opened as an interim measure and is set to closed and be relocated to Earls House.

Future PlansIn 2008 work will begin on the £24 million redevopment of the site, which will see the construction of a new Lanchester Road Hospital.

The current Bowes Lyon Unit will remain however. The new development is also anticipated to contain a physiotherapy department.

The link to the new hospital development site is: [http://www.tayloryoung.co.uk/flash/healthcare_content_14.asp] This shows illustrations of the building plans.

References : [http://www.phsarchitects.co.uk/our-work/case-studies/earls-house-mh] [http://www.institutions.org.uk/hospitals/england/dur/earls_house_sanatorium.htm] [http://www.tewv.nhs.uk/ Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust homepage]