Preferred site confirmed for brand new Monklands Hospital
The North Lanarkshire health board met today to consider Glenmavis, Gartcosh and Wester Moffat.
Wester Moffat has been chosen as the preferred site for the new Monklands Hospital.
The North Lanarkshire Health Board met over a zoom call this afternoon and unanimously decided it is the best option from there, Gartcosh and Glenmavis.
“Additional capacity”, “economic benefits to the area” and transport links all worked in favour of Wester Moffat, which was identified as a potential site through a public nomination process.
In September, it finished top of a scoring exercise to help determine the most promising place and received backing from Airdrie politicians Neil Gray MP and Alex Neil MSP.
NHS Lanarkshire chair Neena Mahal said: “The Board’s recommendation marks a significant milestone in our exciting project to create a world-class hospital to serve the communities of Lanarkshire over the coming decades. This is a recommendation, not a final decision.
“It’s a unanimous recommendation though and will now go forward to the cabinet secretary Jeane Freeman.
"This is a key day for taking this project forward for our communities and staff.”
Mr Neil MSP said: “NHS Lanarkshire’s decision to recommend to the Scottish Government that the new Monklands Hospital be built in Airdrie is the right decision. It is the best Christmas present we could have had. I thank the Health Board for making the right call on behalf of the people of the Monklands.
“The original proposal to build the new hospital at Gartcosh would have been the wrong decision. I am delighted that common sense has prevailed.
“Neil and I have had to fight a long, hard battle, working with thousands of campaigners from all over the Monklands and beyond to ensure that the new hospital will be located in the Monklands area.
“Today that campaign has paid off in spades for the local people. This is their victory and they should be proud of themselves. The people of the Monklands can sleep easier tonight.
“This new hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility and will be a magnet for first class healthcare. Along with the new Airdrie by-pass, the new hospital ensures that the Monklands area is back in business.”
Mr Gray added: "I am absolutely delighted at this decision from NHS Lanarkshire, it is brilliant news for my constituents and people across Monklands. Gartcosh would have been terrible for my constituents and that is why Alex 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."