Earls House

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Earls House is a hospital located in County Durham, England.

[edit] Background

Earls House is managed by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust, which also runs St Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough and West Park Hospital in Darlington.

The hospital began as a vocational residential school for children with special academic needs. It slowly developed into a learning disability hospital. By 1928, it became known as Earls House Sanatorium.

[edit] Building

Earls House is spread over a very spacious site. The original red brick sections of the hospital are now used for administration. 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 to cut costs. Most of the villas are now used for administration and training.

The hospital now 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-site.

[edit] Learning Disability Services

Three villas still provide learning disability inpatient care. However, most people with severe learning disabilities are now cared for in private homes. One of the villas is a respite care treatment centre, the other is a long stay residence, and the third is for forensic learning disabilities. The hospital is also home to the regional behavioral support team for learning disabilities.

[edit] Old age Mental Health Services

The modern Bowes Lyon unit, provides two 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 behavior who cannot be placed in appropriate care homes.

[edit] Adult Mental Health Services

One of the villas has recently been converted into a small residential special care mental health unit, to replace part of the region's demolished Winterton hospital. The Durham County Hospital will be relocated to this site and a new unit will be constructed to house the two adult psychiatric wards from the County Hospital. A psychiatric ward for the elderly will be constructed on a different site.

[edit] Future Plans

A 28 million pound redevelopment of the site will include the replacement of the villas.

The current Bowes Lyon Unit will remain and much of the Administration may go to St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough. The new development is also planned to contain a physiotherapy department.

[edit] References