AN MP HAS had his say on a future development that will see a new mental health unit and a multi-storey car park built at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board plan to build a 63-bed mental health unit on the current pathology carpark. The facility will replace care currently provided at the hospital’s Ablett Unit now deemed ‘no longer fit for purpose’.

To maintain parking number - as a result of 350 being lost - the health board have also proposed a multi-storey car park that will be located North East of the Glan Clwyd site.

This will provide 601 internal and 128 external spaces.

Dr James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd, who wants the health board to build a a bigger sized multi-storey facility, said: “It has long been my view that local mental health services need greater investment and priority. Along with the new building, however, we need to see a new culture within the health board which puts patients first.

“It is widely known that lack of parking at Glan Clwyd Hospital is a major issue. Not only is it a great inconvenience to staff, patients and visitors but it often results in missed appointments. Therefore, I am pleased that the development proposal also seeks to improve this longstanding problem.”

Mr Davies also touched on the park and ride service - which takes patients from the former Hotpoint factory site in Bodelwyddan to the hospital

Originally introduced as a temporary measure, the health board gave the scheme an additional 12-month extension in March.

“Whilst I am supportive of the Park and Ride facility, there are a number of external factors out of the health board’s control which may risk its future viability, and this was always intended as a temporary solution which incurs an annual ongoing cost for BCUHB,” Dr Davies said.

The new mental health unit will provide acute inpatient mental health care to adults from Conwy, Denbighshire and parts of Flintshire.

A new Dementia Assessment Unit will be created and will replace the service currently provided at the Bryn Hesketh Unit in Colwyn Bay.

The public are being invited to have their say on proposals before they are submitted to Denbighshire County Council in October.

Visit bcuhb.nhs.wales/news/updates-and-developments/developments/ablett-unit-redevelopment-glan-clwyd-hospital to submit a view.