Hospital replacement timetable confirmed

NHS HIGHLAND has confirmed the replacement for the Belford Hospital will continue to be a rural general hospital, with construction due to start in the next four years.

Funding for the new hospital was included in NHS Highland’s five-year capital plan published in March 2017 and will be part of a wider re-design of health and social care services in Lochaber.

In October 2015 Highland Council bought land in Fort William at Blar Mhor from Tesco for £2 million and made it available for a new hospital.

Dr Brian Tregaskis, clinical lead for the Belford Hospital, said: ‘I am pleased work to progress the new hospital is under way. There will be in-patient beds, 24/7 medical and nursing cover, accident and emergency, operating theatre, surgery, outpatients, renal and maternity services.

‘We are exploring a range of options to provide care both in the hospital and in the community.’

Working in collaboration with NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, West Highland College UHI and the Scottish Government, the Highland Council helped secured the Blar Mhor site for a new hospital and potentially a new science academy for the West Highland College.

Dr Tregaskis continued: ‘In common with other rural general hospitals there have been increasing difficulties to recruit surgeons, anaesthetists and physicians and this is not set to improve. Therefore we will have to be innovative and will explore all options to design and deliver solutions that will work for Lochaber.’