Three city hospitals are to be given a facelift as part of £6.5million NHS investment.
Over the next two years Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust will spend the money on improving 55 of its wards and units that provide inpatient mental health and learning disability services to people of all ages.
Monkwearmouth, Ryhope and Cher
ry Knowle Hospitals in Sunderland are among those due to benefit from the upgrades.
Acting chief executive Dr Andrew Fairbairn said: "In line with other mental health and disability trusts across the country, we have many buildings that were not designed to provide modern services and don't offer the standard of environment we believe our patients deserve.
"Ideally, we'd like to see all our services provided from modern purpose-built facilities, and we have long-term plans to improve many of our buildings, including the replacement of the ageing Cherry Knowle Hospital.
"However in the meantime our patients have the right to expect to be cared for in a good standard of accommodation, and over the next two years we will be improving 55 of our wards and units.
"One of the reasons we are striving to become an NHS Foundation Trust is to have the flexibility to save money to invest in new buildings and good quality facilities that provide the kind of environments our patients deserve, and which our staff can be proud of."
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