New scoring exercise for hospital sites

A new consultation on the site of the new Monklands Hospital is now underway, with 400 Lanarkshire residents and healthcare staff giving their views by post on the three possible locations.

Panellists will score the three potential locations – at Gartcosh, Glenmavis and Wester Moffat – on their travel times by road and public transport for both patients and staff, access to NHS regional centres, site contamination, and impact of patients from Glasgow attending the new hospital.

The exercise is being re-run with a vastly increased number of contributors after the results of the original scoring event in March – which had again seen controversial choice Gartcosh emerge top – were withdrawn after it was marred by technical equipment failure and insufficent numbers and mixture of participants.

More than 400 people who had indicated an interest in being involved in the process will now receive letters this week inviting them to take part in the survey during the next two months, either by post, phone or online.

It is being run by independent public engagement experts at the Consultation Institute“in a way that can be safely undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic”, while Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Electoral Commission are also advising on the process.

Scores for each of the three potential Monklands locations will be calculated using“proportionate representation from geographical locations and staff groups”, with the health board saying that more than 75 per cent of participants will be members of the public.

They will then be supplemented by financial assessments from the health board, with the outcomes being published for a further period of public feedback.

Colin Lauder, who is NHS Lanarkshire’s director of property, planning and performance, said: “It’s important to stress that the outcome of scoring will not be a final decision on a hospital location.

“It will be only one factor which will be considered by NHS Lanarkshire’s board, along with all of the other evidence collected during public and staff engagement, in identifying a preferred option for the new site.”

Health board members will then recommend a “preferred option” to health secretary Jeane Freeman for a final decision on the hospital’s location.