The final wards of a mental health unit have been opened this week.

After four years of planning and a £42million investment by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, the final three wards of the Kingfisher Court inpatient mental health unit have been opened.

Based at the Kingsley Green site near Radlett, Kingfisher Court is the trust’s flagship inpatient unit for the assessment and treatment of people with mental health illness and learning disabilities.

The final three wards, Owl, Robin and Dove, have now opened, and patients have been transferred from units in Watford and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn.

Kingfisher Court provides 86 beds in a therapeutic environment with wards that specialise in acute adult mental health care, mental health care for adults who may be frail or vulnerable, and assessment and treatment for people with a learning disability.

The trust's chief executive Tom Cahill said: “I am very proud to see our service users moving into these world class facilities. Kingfisher Court represents our commitment to supporting some of the most vulnerable people in Hertfordshire at their time of need.

“Throughout this project we have worked closely with the people who use our services, their families and our staff to create the best possible environment in which we can provide recovery-oriented care.”