Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
WEST IS BEST
Mixed response to hospital site choice
NHS Lanarkshire’s decision to selec t Wester Moffat as its recommended site for the new University Monklands Hospital has met with a mixed response.
After months of consultations, debates and public feedback, the health board chose the area over other options Gartcosh and Glenmavis to house the £400 million facility during an online meeting last Wednesday.
The selection now goes forward to health secretary Jeane Freeman, who will make the final decision on the hospital’s future.
A irdr ie ’s parliament a r ians labelled the news “the best Christmas present we could have had”, with the town’s MP Neil Gray “absolutely delighted” and Alex Neil MSP calling it “the right decision”.
But Coatbridge MSP Fulton Macgregor and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard both expressed concerns over the choice of Wester Moffat, with Mr Macgregor telling us “it is not what many people in the Northern Corridor would have wanted” and Mr Leonard adding he “will always believe” the hospital should have stayed on its current site on Monkscourt Avenue.
The Advertiser’s readers were also divided on the decision as they contacted us in their droves on our Facebook page.
Wester Moffat has been chosen as the preferred site for the new University Hospital Monklands by NHS Lanarkshire.
The health board recommended the site for the £ 400 million facility during an online meeting last Wednesday, with their selection now going forward to health secretary Jeane Freeman, who will make the final decision.
Wester Moffat beat other options Gartcosh and Glenmavis and was the “unanimous” choice among members.
The site – which was only identified as a potential location in January – was the preferred choice when patients and staff rated the three options during a postal scoring process in the summer.
The health board has also committed to redeveloping the hospital’s current site on Monkscourt Avenue into “something that will help tackle health inequalities”.
Speaking during the meeting, NHS Lanarkshire chair Neena Mahal said: “The ability to address the transport and environmental concerns [ at Wester Moffat] were of assurance.
“Looking at staff and patients, and not just one group, Wester Moffat stood out as the one that provided the maximum opportunities for both.
“Icon cur with the recommendation and I’m supportive of approving it.
“On the basis of our discussions, it’s [the decision] unanimously carried and approved by the board.”
Ms Mahal said afterwards: “The board’s recommendation that Wester Moffat is the preferred site for the new, stateof-the-art University Hospital Monklands marks a significant milestone in our exciting project to create a worldclass hospital to serve the communities of Lanarkshire over the coming decades.
“I would like to thank the public and our staff for their extensive participation during the engagement process on the project.
“The feedback we received proved invaluable in helping board members to give thorough consideration to the issues.
“I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the Monklands Replacement Project team, who provided the board with the comprehensive information which formed the basis of our deliberations.
“The board’s recommendation, which is not a final decision, will now be considered by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport.”
Airdrie’s parliamentarians called the decision “the best Christmas present we could have had”.
MP Neil Gray said: “I am absolutely delighted. It is brilliant news for my constituents and people across Monklands. Gartcosh would have been terrible for my constituents and that is why Alex [Neil] and I have worked so hard with local people to secure the Scottish Government review. It was that review that brought Wester Moffat forward as an option.
“The people of Monklands deserve a new hospital and they deserve it where it is accessible for them, that is why Wester Moffat is the right choice. It works for the patients who need and use the hospital most and it works for the majority of staff who work there and live locally.”
MSP Alex Neil added: “This is the right decision. It is the best Christmas present we could have had.
“I thank the health board on behalf of the people of the Monklands. The original proposal to build at Gartcosh would have been the wrong decision. I am delighted that common sense has prevailed.
“I hope the Scottish Government will now quickly accept the health board’s recommendation of Wester Moffat as the location for the new hospital, and that construction can start soon.
“This new hospital will be a state- of- the- art facility and a magnet for first- class healthcare. Along with the new Airdrie bypass, the new hospital ensures that Monklands is back in business.
“As I will be standing down in May 2021, I am proud that these two massive investments have been secured for the people of Airdrie.”
North Lanarkshire Council leader Jim Logue also welcomed the recommendation and said: “I am delighted. The Wester Moffat site is an ideal location and will provide much needed state- of- theart hospital facilities for so many residents in North Lanarkshire. It is my hope that the Scottish Government accept the recommendation and construction can begin as soon as possible.
“The new hospital will be a fitting addition to our ambitious plans for North Lanarkshire, with record investment in council housing, infrastructure and community facilities all to come over the next few years.”