A MENTAL health secure unit is set to close after the facility was deemed unsuitable to continue catering for patients’ needs.

Mersey Care NHS Trust is proposing axing the Scott Clinic, off Elton Head Road in Rainhill, and transferring patients to a new facility close to Ashworth Hospital in Maghull.

The clinic employs 170 people and a report outlining the closure proposals highlights the potential impact on “local employment and the community.”

A report into the proposed closure stated that, although there is no issue with the quality of care at the site, the building itself is no longer “fit for purpose”.

The report added that the clinic was also no longer able to provide privacy and dignity and there weren’t enough beds for people in the area, leading to 30 per cent of patients being admitted to hospitals further away from their home town.

The report said that the site’s shortcomings are primarily related to the “size and condition of the infrastructure within a tight site that offers little room to develop or increase services without significant disruption to patients”.

The unit currently provides care and treatment for 48 men and eight women and accepts referrals from the criminal justice system, such as courts and prisons.

In the report service director Ann Kenwright praised staff, describing them as “very experienced and experts in treating and managing this client group.

The report said that the move will be beneficial for the patients and be more sustainable in the long term.

It is planned to open the new facility in December 2016.