Constance announces extra cash for Monklands Hospital as replacement plan paused
The Health Secretary said additional money would be provided to NHS Lanarkshire to help maintain ‘safe and effective services’.
Additional funding from the Scottish Government is being provided to NHS Lanarkshire to allow the health board to provide “safe and effective services” while plans for a replacement hospital at Monklands are redrawn.
Health Secretary Angela Constance confirmed money would be provided to NHS Lanarkshire to improve the current hospital building, as she spoke of the “challenges facing staff” working in the existing hospital site.
Ms Constance visited staff at the hospital in Airdrie, and the nearby Wester Moffat site of the planned replacement, on Thursday.
It comes as the Health Secretary announced in June that she was “pausing” work on the new £2.1 billion replacement building, saying such a level of spending would “significantly limit” investment in the rest of the NHS.
But she stressed again, on Thursday, that the Scottish Government is still committed to building a new hospital.
She has previously told MSPs the Government’s “ambition” is for work on the new hospital to start in 2028, with “demonstratable progress” to be made on the project over the five years of the current Holyrood term.
Speaking after her visit, Ms Constance said: “It was important to visit University Hospital Monklands and meet the dedicated staff who are providing excellent care to patients from across Lanarkshire as well as meeting with members of NHS Lanarkshire’s Board.”
The Health Secretary was clear: “Our commitment to building a new Monklands Hospital at Wester Moffat has not changed.”
She said she wanted “refreshed plans” for the project to be presented to the Government in 2027, adding: “This reset will provide an affordable and credible route to delivery of that new hospital, ensuring that services are aligned to modern models of care to improve how care is delivered locally.”
Ms Constance continued: “In the meantime, I recognise the challenges facing staff in the existing Monklands site and I can confirm we will be providing additional financial support to NHS Lanarkshire to maintain safe and effective services while revised plans for a new Monklands Hospital are developed.
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but it is my responsibility to ensure major investment decisions are affordable, deliverable, and aligned with the future of our health and care system.”