Two Northern Ireland firms have scooped an £85 million contract to develop five mental health care facilities in Liverpool, Sefton and Kirkby.

The good news comes days after it was announced that the level of construction activity across NI is still on the way down.

However, both Farrans and Heron Brothers are bucking the trend and have secured a joint venture to work on the Mersey Care Development Programmes for Mersey Care NHS Trust and Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership.

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The facilities will offer patients single sex accommodation complete with their own bathroom.

The works will be located at Walton Hospital, the former Ian Skelly site and Mossley Hill Hospital.

New facilities will also be built at Sefton Health Park and Southport General Infirmary.

The contract will run for four years with the option to extend it for another year.

Last week, the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) published the latest edition of the Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin.

Among the key findings was news that the total volume of construction output for the period 1 January to 31 March 2010 fell by 3.2% compared with the fourth quarter of 2009.

The total volume of construction output in the first quarter of 2010 was 7.8% lower compared to the same quarter in 2009.

See: NI Construction 'Still Falling'

(CD/BMcC)