WORK has finally started on a long-awaited £12.5million care home including 35 rooms in a bid to reduce bed-blocking at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals.

Building is now under way on the the specialist development for older people at Albion Mill in Blackburn after a four-year delay.

Originally given planning permission in 2014, the Ewood project’s specification was changed last year to triple the number of intermediate care and rehabilitation spaces to help get patients out of hospital, with hopes high for an early start.

On Friday specialist developer Verum Victum Healthcare revealed Bardsley Construction had started work on site with a completion date of December next year.

The 109-bed home will include 50 extra-care apartments, 31 en-suite rooms for intermediate care and four rehabilitation apartments. It is being developed for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and the local NHS.

Two four-storey residential blocks will be linked by a three-storey building providing communal areas for use by the residents including dining room, TV lounge, library, hair salon, gym, consulting rooms, kitchen and staff accommodation.

The development will also include provision of landscaping, parking, roadways and footpaths.

Originally it was planned to include just 12 intermediate beds but in February 2017 Blackburn with Darwen Council agreed to underwrite a new specification, increasing that number to 31 en-suite rooms and another four specialised rehabilitation apartments.

They are planned to enable the earlier discharge of convalescent patients at Royal Blackburn and Burnley General teaching hospitals, reducing the problem of bed-blocking at both

Verum Victum chief executive Roy Kenny said: “By mixing extra care, specialised dementia care and intermediate care in one bespoke development we can deliver enhanced outcomes at lower cost to local authorities and clinical commissioners.”

Cllr Brian Taylor, the council’s health and adult care boss, said: “This project offers so much potential to improve the quality of life for our older people and help maintain independence.

“We have modelled this scheme on the need for a more integrated and seamless approach. It is the first time in this borough a range of services for older and infirm people will be brought together on one site."

“The intermediate care provision is jointly commissioned by the council and the borough’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group. It will be a great asset.”

Cllr Jacquie Slater, his Conservative shadow, said: “This is brilliant news. We have had to wait a long time for work to start but this new development will be well worth it.”