The need to embrace change
NHS Forth Valley chairman Alex Linkston said embracing change in how healthcare was important in terms of safeguarding and improving healthcare for the future.
And, contrary to some popular opinion, saving money was not the primary objective.
Mr Linkston said:“This is a fantastic new building which will offer improved healthcare facilities for local people, NHS staff and a number of GP practices.
“I’d like to pay tribute to Robertson Construction, the Project Team and Hub East Central Scotland who have worked together to ensure the centre was completed on time and on budget.
“We need modern buildings. Medicine is becoming very high tech now and we need the facilities to be able to allow for that.
“When you look back at the last 20 years the changes have been significant. We know far more about health and how the system operates than we did years ago.
“If we are going to have a health service that supports the population we have to embrace change.
“A lot of people tend to think that change is all about cutting costs but safety will always be the priority in any redesign of services and it is an opportunity to improve.”
Former NHS Forth Valley chairman Ian Mullen is now chairman of Hub East Central Scotland, the Stirling-based body which combines private and public sector to build public infrastructure – including the new care village buildings. He said:“Having been involved in NHS Forth Valley before the Hub, it is great to see a huge part of the NHS Forth Valley estate features a lot of new build, which is not the case for every health board.”
Mr Mullen acknowledged that proposals to close Stirling Royal Infirmary and centralise acute services at a new hospital in Larbert, creating a community hospital/minor injuries unit at the Stirling site, had originally caused concern when first suggested during his chairmanship of the health board several years ago.
However, he insisted the move was always part of a bigger picture for local healthcare.He said: “Originally there were concerns but now people realise that 70 per cent of treatment and care takes place outside of hospital.”