Andorra Secures 44 Beds in New Sant Lluís Mental Health Centre in La Seu d’Urgell

Andorra will secure 44 of the 59 beds in the first phase of the new Sant Lluís mental health centre under construction in La Seu d’Urgell, located in the former diocesan seminary.

Health Minister Helena Mas visited the site alongside Bishop of Urgell and Episcopal Co-Prince Josep-Lluís Serrano, Fundació Hospitalàries Sant Boi-Benito Menni director Joan Orrit, and other officials. Construction costs €11.7 million, funded by the Urgell diocese, with the foundation managing operations. Works are on schedule to finish by late summer, allowing first admissions in early 2027. The facility could later expand to 97 beds in a modular design adaptable to future needs.

Of Andorra’s allocation, 12 beds target adolescents in subacute care after initial stabilisation in the Principat, two serve brain injury cases, 25 support medium-stay patients—many currently in Spanish facilities—and five address subacute needs. Some beds are covered by CASS agreements. Patients will receive acute-phase treatment locally before transfer for medium- or long-term recovery, with details on referral protocols still pending to ensure professional coordination and repatriation for rehabilitation.

Designed as an open facility promoting personal wellbeing beyond psychiatry, it features communal spaces like a dining area, lounge, playroom, adapted bathrooms, visiting room, work-rest area, and psychiatry unit. A dedicated classroom and teachers will enable adolescents to maintain schooling in two six-bed modules, easing reintegration. An “Àgora” space on the ground floor offers drop-in access for therapy, advice, or peer interaction.

Mas described it as aligning with Andorra’s mental health strategy, providing family relief through proximity—just minutes away—and reducing distant transfers to places like Manresa, Barcelona or Lleida. Orrit emphasised community integration and flexibility, positioning the centre as a southern European hub for mental health excellence.

The project will create around 100 direct and indirect jobs, prioritising local hires from Andorra and the Alt Pirineu to retain talent. Catalonia receives the remaining 15 beds: 10 for neurodegenerative disorders and five subacute.