Plans for a new hospital on the outskirts of Inverness have been given a cautious welcome by NHS Highland board members.
Plans were revealed last week for a new “elective treatment centre” which could be build at Inverness Campus to serve the Highlands and islands.
The £16million facility would be designed to alleviate “pressure areas” for patients aged over 75-years-old, such as cataract treatments and hip and knee replacements.
It is expected to have thirty beds, three theatres and day care facilities.
NHS Highland chairman Garry Coutts told board members yesterday that they would “bash ahead” with preparing an outline business plan for the facility yesterday.
However, some members asked for assurance that they would not be left carrying the cost of the facility, which was announced by the Scottish Government.
NHS Highland’s audit chairman Mike Evans welcomed what he described as a “fantastic development”.
But he also asked for assurance that the plans would not impact on the board’s capital programme, with NHS Highland already developing a number of plans for new hospitals.
Chief operating officer Deborah Jones said that the project was “totally separate” from the board’s own capital plan, with costs being covered by the Scottish Government.
NHS Highland chief executive Elaine Mead said: “I will make it very clear that given our historical financial position we would not expect to take on any of the financial pressures.”
The hospital has been earmarked for “plot five” of the campus by the Golden Bridge with hopes that the centre could be opened by 2021.
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