Keep hospital in Airdrie

Airdrie’s parliamentarians are insisting that a new Monklands Hospital should remain in the town and should become Lanarkshire’s centre of excellence for elective orthopaedics.

Neil Gray MP and Alex Neil MSP made the calls in their official responses to the NHS Lanarkshire consultation on the health board’s Achieving Excellence strategy.

Its questions include seeking opinions on whether to partially or completely redevelop the current Monkscourt Avenue site, construct a new hospital elsewhere in the area or simply maintain the current building, described as requiring a significant upgrade.

Mr Gray sent his response directly to health board chief executive Calum Campbell, saying that despite the development already made at the existing site and the benefits of redeveloping the existing location, he is not opposed to the £400m replacement hospital being built on a new site, provided it is still within Monklands.

He told the Advertiser:“NHS Lanarkshire have already taken steps to modernise the hospital. The brand-new critical care unit formed part of a £19 million refurbishment, in addition to the £2m spent on the pathology lab.

“Given the significant investment, along with the £22m Lanarkshire Beatson and £1.8m Maggie’s Centre, the case for the new Monklands to be built on the existing site is strengthened.

“That being said, a brand-new hospital on a new site in Monklands would bring exciting opportunities and should be carefully considered. I’d be delighted to see an entirely new hospital on an appropriate site in the local area.”

Mr Neil said:“The commitment to the construction of a new Monklands Hospital is vitally important, given that the existing facility will not be fit for purpose for much longer. It has to be located in the Monklands area, ideally in Airdrie, to avoid unnecessary disruption.

“It must also have plenty of land for future expansion, ensure there is ample car parking, easy access to public transport and be capable of rapid change as the nature of medicine will radically change in the next 20 years or so.”

Both Airdrie representatives are also campaigning for elective orthopaedics for the county to be based at Monklands in the long term, as the county’s second site for the speciality alongside trauma at Wishaw. Mr Gray described it as“the only sensible option” Mr Neil said:“There is an urgent need to establish a far better transport service for patients, visitors and staff between Lanarkshire’s three general hospitals.”