Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Hospital site gets green light
Health secretary rubber-stamps Wester Moffat development
the new Monklands Hospital will be built at wester Moffat – after government confirmation giving official approval to the airdrie farmland site was issued this week.
Health secretary Jeane Freeman rubber-stamped the choice of NHS Lanarkshire, meaning that the project can now progress to its next outline business case stage.
Now more information on the plans, which include making the new facility Scotland’s first digital hospital, is set to be shared later this year.
Health board officials also added that “there are still a number of stages that need to be completed before construction can begin”.
The decision concludes a three-year site selection process, which almost saw the hospital relocate to Gartcosh.
The location choice has been welcomed by politicians who campaigned to keep the hospital closer to its current location in Monklands.
Wester Moffat has gained the required government approval to become the site of the new University Hospital Monklands – and health board officials will now be developing the business case stage of the project throughout this year.
Health secretary Jeane Freeman this week wrote to NHS Lanarkshire to confirm the Airdrie farmland as the chosen site, concluding a process of almost three years to choose a location for the new £400 million facility.
NHS Lanarkshire say they are “delighted” to have received the go-ahead for the stage of the project, while the decision has also been welcomed by crossparty politicians including Airdrie parliamentarians Neil Gray and Alex Neil, and council leader Jim Logue.
The next stage of the project is development and approval of the outline business case, which will take place in the coming months, with the health board adding: “There are still a number of stages that need to be completed before construction can begin.”
University Hospital Monklands chief of medical services Dr Rory Mackenzie, a member of the Monkland Replacement Project (MRP) team, said: “This decision will be warmly welcomed by all my colleagues across the hospital.
“It’s a crucial step forward on the road to a new Monklands that will be essential in supporting the ideal model of care for our future healthcare challenges, including the rising elderly population.
“We will use the latest technology to deliver Scotland’s first digital hospital. And clinicians remain at the heart of the process, ensuring our new, ultra-modern hospital is designed to tackle public health issues such as the current coronavirus pandemic.”
The approved location was chosen by board members at a crucial meeting in December ahead of alternative options at Glenmavis and Gartcosh, after Wester Moffat proved to be the top scorer in a consultation of patients and staff carried out after it first emerged as an option a year ago.
It was added in a re-run of the site selection process which was carried out following significant public and political opposition to the controversial 2018 choice of the former Gartcosh steelworks, including strong criticism from residents and petitions to keep the hospital in the “central Monklands” area.
Ms Freeman wrote to NHS Lanarkshire board chair Neena Mahal: “I note the process followed, the reasons why the board is recommending Wester Moffat as the preferred site, and the assurances you have received from Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Monklands oversight board.
“I am happy to approve the
recommendation of Wester Moffat and I am content for you to develop the outline business case.”
She added: “I appreciate the thoroughness of this exercise and the fact that you were able to successfully engage with local stakeholders during what has been a particularly challenging time for the NHS.”
Ms Mahal said: “The process of site selection would not have been possible without the vital input we received from the public and our staff during our engagement process prior to the recommendation of a preferred site.
“I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the MRP team and my board colleagues for their support and diligence.”
Project director Graeme Reid added: “We look forward
to detailing the significant clinical and economic benefits that the construction of the new hospital will bring to the people of Lanarkshire in our outline business case later this year.
“We will share our exciting plans in the coming months to ensure the public and our staff are fully aware of developments and can continue to provide input.”
The decision was welcomed by local representatives including Mr Gray MP and Mr Neil MSP, who called the health secretary’s approval “a huge step forward” and “the best start to the year we could have hoped for”.
Mr Gray said: “It’s been a long, hard road to get here, and although there is still the outline business case to be approved, we are a huge step forward to getting the modern, state-ofthe-art facility that the people
of Monklands and beyond deserve.”
Referencing the required future construction of the East Airdrie link road which will provide access to the site, he added: “I will not rest until I see building commencing at Wester Moffat, and the promised transport links in place.”
Constituency colleague Mr Neil agreed: “This decision is the best start to the year that we could have hoped for, and I look forward to the outline business case being approved and work starting on the site in the next few years.
“Until this is done, Neil and I will certainly not rest on our laurels – we have fought for this from the start and will not stop until there is a fantastic, modern hospital to serve the folk of Monklands and the surrounding area.”
Airdrie Central representative Councillor Logue added: “This is extremely welcome news and is testament to the power of joint working to get major projects off the ground.
“The council has worked tirelessly with NHS Lanarkshire, particularly through the City Deal partnership to release the funds required to undertake all the infrastructure requirements for the new site to be a success.
“It’s disappointing that this has at times become an overtly political process, but I’m delighted that the right conclusion has been arrived at in the end.
“We stand ready as a council to continue to support NHS Lanarkshire in any way we can to ensure that the state-of-theart Monklands Hospital our residents deserves comes to fruition as quickly as possible.”