NHS Highland approves construction of new hospitals

NHS Highland has approved an investment that will modernise health services the region and help construct new hospitals.

The Board of NHS Highland has given the green light to a £48m investment to modernise health and social care services in Badenoch and Strathspey and Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross. At a special meeting, the Board unanimously agreed to submit a joint Full Business Case to the Scottish Government for the modernisation of community and hospital services for the two localities.

The Highland Council granted planning permission for a new 24-bed community hospital at Broadford on Skye on Friday 3rd May 2019 and The Cairngorm National Park Authority granted planning permission for a 24-bed community hospital in Aviemore on 22nd February 2019. Construction of the two community hospitals will begin this summer.

NHS Highland’s chief executive, Iain Stewart, said: “This investment represents a major step forward for NHS services in both Skye and Badenoch & Strathspey. It supports our efforts to modernise and transform the delivery of healthcare and, in terms of our promise to improve Out-of-Hours care on Skye, it is very much in line with the recommendations of the Ritchie Report.”

“We are delighted to be able to turn this vision into reality and I would like to recognise the huge contribution made by local communities, staff and partner agencies in reaching this stage. The redesigned services will be more stable, more sustainable and will deliver a better experience for our patients and wider communities.”

The redesign of health and social care services in Skye, Lochalsh, and South West Ross includes the closure of Mackinnon Memorial Hospital and building demolition of adjacent bungalow and cessation of lease at the Highland Council service point. The Badenoch & Strathspey redesign includes investment in Grantown Health Centre and Kingussie Medical Centre to maintain services displaced by the closure of the existing hospitals and the opening of two new flexible beds in NHSH care homes at Grant House (Grantown-on-Spey) and one flexible bed at the Wade Centre (Kingussie, completed 2017).

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