York's Bootham Park psychiatric hospital had £2m spent on it

Bootham Park hospital was first opened in 1777

A psychiatric hospital in York was ordered to close despite nearly £2m being spent on improvements.

The Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said work at the Bootham Park estate was done following an critical inspection in 2014.

But a Care Quality Commission inspection earlier this month found patients were still at serious risk and ordered clinical services to be moved.

Patients have either been discharged or transferred from the hospital.

Improvements worth £1.76m were made at the 18th century Grade-I listed building, and accommodation at the Cherry Tree House facility in Heworth was refurbished.

Work was also done to convert a ward to provide outpatient services, replace heating ducts, remove ligature points, and improve the water hygiene system.

Janet Probert, from the CCG, said the closure - which will affect up to 300 members of staff - was frustrating.

"That money was spent with the best of intentions," she said.

"We knew it was only an interim solution, but we did believe that we could keep that site safe."

The design and layout of the hospital was viewed as unsuitable and unsafe by inspectors

Chris Butler, chief executive of the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Trust which runs Bootham Park, said: "The CCG are on record as saying they want to develop a new mental health facility in this city.

"It now needs to get a move on with those plans."

With regard to patients receiving treatment at the hospital he said:

• Eight had been transferred to inpatient services in Middlesbrough

• Two were transferred to a recovery unit in York

• 15 patients had been discharged to home treatment

• Around 400 people receiving outpatient treatments would be treated at facilities elsewhere in York

Mr Butler said the trust was consulting with trade unions about the future for the staff affected.

Mental health and learning disability services in the Vale of York are due to transfer from the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust on 1 October.