Ashworth Hospital

Ashworth Hospital stands in Maghull, ten miles northeast of Liverpool, on land where a children’s convalescent home once opened in 1878. It is a high-security psychiatric hospital run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, one of four such units in the United Kingdom and one of three in England. The hospital provides treatment for people whose psychiatric needs require conditions of high security. Fourteen locked wards organise care, including five wards for patients with personality disorders. The hospital is known for its programmes of rehabilitation and creative therapy. Patients have won prizes in the Koestler awards and take part in reading groups run with The Reader Organisation. Ashworth’s history includes the merger of Moss Side and Park Lane hospitals in 1989, chosen by a ballot among patients and staff. Earlier, during the First World War, the site became Moss Side Military Hospital for soldiers with what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder. Visitors to the hospital grounds see a secure estate of modern buildings set among mature trees. The wards are arranged to separate different groups of patients and staff. Outside, landscaped areas provide limited but supervised access to fresh air. The hospital continues to evolve, responding to findings from inquiries and inspections while maintaining its role as a place of treatment and security.