THE new Wellesley Hospital at Chelston, on the outskirts of Wellington, will take in its first patients towards the end of next month.

Work on the hospital, which will provide 225 jobs when fully operational, began about two years ago.

The hospital has cost £20 million to build and is expected to generate between £4 and £5 million a year into the local economy.

Planning permission was granted more than five years ago to build a medium and low-secure treatment rehabilitation hospital for patients with a broad range of mental health problems, ranging from learning disability and acquired brain injury to acute mental illness.

NHS England has confirmed it will ‘commission up to 75 beds at the hospital in collaboration with Devon Partnership NHS Trust’.

NHS says: “The hospital will enable patients to return to the South-West from hospitals all over the country supporting people towards independence. The beds will be opened in phases according to patient need starting from January 2017.

“From December 1, 2016, ten sites – including Wellesley Hospital – left the Partnerships in Care group and became part of a new company called Elysium Healthcare.

“Elysium Healthcare is led by Joy Chamberlain, CEO, former CEO of Partnerships in Care). Twelve sites from The Priory Group have also moved to the ownership of Elysium Healthcare creating a 22-site group. The remaining Partnerships in Care sites have moved to the ownership of The Priory Group.

At the launch of the new company last week, Joy Chamberlain said: “I am extremely proud to be leading Elysium Healthcare with the full support of my experienced management team. I have always been passionate about the delivery of care and I have championed the voice of the patient. This new venture will enable our hospitals and our team to continue to deliver the outstanding care our customers have grown to expect. We will work with our patients to shape the care of today and the future.”

When up and running, the hospital will become one of Wellington’s biggest employers. Although many of the jobs are specialists posts, a number of vacancies have been available to unskilled staff who are receiving “training support from local educational establishments.”

The new hospital has been built on the rapidly expanding Westpark 26 which is attractive to business because of its proximity to the M5.