Work on £8million expansion project at Albyn Hospital to start in October

By Ellie Milne

July 27 2022, 6:31 pm

Bets Welman, executive director, Karen Benton, director of Clinical Services and Euan McIntyre, operations manager. Supplied by Circle Health Group.

Albyn Hospital in Aberdeen is to benefit from an £8million investment to expand its facilities.

The private hospital has received the go-ahead to begin work on the 18-month expansion project.

As well as providing a boost for the local economy, the investment will create 40 new non-clinical and clinical jobs across the hospital.

Patients will benefit from an improved entrance, seven new day case rooms and three more en-suite bedrooms.

The plans also include the creation of the latest specification laminar flow theatre.

Drawing shows where the extension will be built at the back of the existing building. Supplied by Circle Health Group.

Euan McIntyre, operations manager, said: “The new planned building works that is to be carried out is an extension to our hospital, so the majority of the work will be done outside of the existing hospital ward and theatre department.

“We do not anticipate significant disruption to our services however we will require to relocate to different areas of the hospital to allow for the building works to take place.”

Work is scheduled to begin in October and be completed in early 2024.

‘A comfortable and modern facility’

Bets Welman, executive director, said he was “delighted” the expansion plans have now been approved.

“This is a significant and exciting project as this expansion and refurbishments are essential to allow us to meet the private healthcare needs of patients and families in the north of Scotland, and will significantly decrease waiting times which will positively impact the patient’s experience,” he said.

The upcoming work follows an expansion of the radiology department back in 2011 to include a MRI scanner, and upgrades to a minor procedure unit earlier this year.

Drawing shows the front and side elevation of the improved pedestrian entrance from the front parking area to the Main Hospital Entrance. Supplied by Circle Health Group.

Karen Benton, director of clinical services, added: “It’s not just about creating more space but also prioritising the workflow and streamlining patient flow through the hospital.

“By creating an additional theatre and expanding the ward facilities we will be able to provide our consultants with vital additional theatre time.

“A proportion of the ward facilities will be designed specific for day case admissions which will offer patients a comfortable and modern facility but with the convenience of a reduced hospital stay, which is particularly important to our patients who want to reduce their time off work.”