Graeme Reid

He said: “We have the opportunity to deliver the best clinical care for our patients throughout Lanarkshire; the new model means we have to have a very large ground floor so that departments from emergency medicine right through to radiology, cancer care and renal services are all close to each other giving the best patient experience.

“The move will help our ambitions to reduce reliance on in-patient beds by increasing day case and outpatient treatment. On a new large site we can create the ideal hospital to offer the most modern care.”

Dr Ruddy added: “A hospital built with digital technology at its core will free up clinicians’ time, allowing even more time to be spent looking after patients.

“With NHS Lanarkshire’s patients becoming older and increasingly suffering from a number of complex conditions, the use of digital technology is key to this clinical model – the blueprint for providing future healthcare that has been developed by our clinicians and other colleagues.”

University Hospital Monklands chief of nursing services Karen Goudie added: “Our ambition for the new Monklands to be Scotland’s first digital hospital will greatly benefit patients, visitors and staff.

“There will be an operational command centre at the heart of the development, providing the most modern of healthcare with real- time information to make staff instantly aware of patients whose condition is deteriorating, helping to maximise patient safety and flow, and to address any capacity issues in the safest way possible.

“The centre will even monitor online feedback from patients’ families to help improve care.”

Design images show an aerial view of how the hospital could look, using the minimum 40-acre footprint required by whichever site is chosen to create a connected ground floor with crucial departments located side by side.

It also includes green spaces to create a “healing environment”, as well as the digital technology which is “central to an improved experience for patients and [in helping] staff carry out their work”.

The reference designs were prepared as part of the business case process for the new hospital and will be used by potential contractors to understand the requirements and complete detailed plans, with NHS Lanarkshire adding: “The final design may vary depending on feedback from the public, Scottish Government or other stakeholders.”

MRP director Graeme Reid called the visualisations “inspirational” and said the new Monklands would be “Scotland’s first digital hospital, a worldclass hospital for the communities of Lanarkshire who will be served by it in years to come”.

He added: “The design was created with the valued input of patient and public representatives and staff, who provided feedback at a series of workshops last year.

“It illustrates the exciting future for patients and staff of the proposed hospital, with further feedback being sought from the public during the planning process once a site is confirmed.

“A location for the new hospital will be confirmed this spring from the three shortlisted sites, following a public engagement process and a site scoring exercise.”

Speaking in the NHS Lanarkshire video, director of public health Gabe Docherty told how the current Monklands Hospital is “really loved” and said: “It’s really clear there was a real sense of belonging between the community and the hospital.

“It was designed in the 60s and built in the 70s. It’s no longer fit for purpose [and] our clinicians, our nurses, doctors and other heatlthcare professionals can’t provide the level of care that they want to provide.

“Sadly, it has to move to another area. NHS Lanarkshire, along with the University of Strathclyde and North Lanarkshire Council, are going to work with the community to look at how we can create a health and wellbeing campus on the current site.”

A world-class hospital for the communities of Lanarkshire