Date Published: 15 August 2005

Cash to modernise Scotland's health service (UK)

An investment of £65 million to provide modern facilities for patients and staff in the Scottish NHS was announced today.

First Minister Jack McConnell announced the investment as he officially opened the impressive new Bonnyrigg Health Centre in Midlothian.
He said:

" I welcome this fantastic new health centre in Bonnyrigg.
_ Health Centres, pharmacies and dental surgeries are the first port of call for most Scots using their NHS. They demand and deserve excellent facilities which match their needs, so we will continue to invest in new local centres.
_ But record breaking investment in the NHS must be coupled with modernisation and reform.
_ We need more treatment and diagnosis at local health centres close to people's homes. This reduces costly, time consuming visits to hospital - but it delivers better, faster treatment too.
_ The NHS in Scotland needs to adapt to the changing needs of this country. We need to deliver flexible services in the community - where they are most needed.
_ This investment will be crucial to achieving our goal."

The money comes from the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation programme.

The investment will be allocated through NHS Boards bidding to the Executive in two phases over the next two years. Further announcements will outline details of individual projects to benefit.

The existing programme since 1999 has already invested £78m on 165 projects across Scotland. It has covered:

• Rejuvenation of many existing Health Centres and clinics
• Provision of new premises in remote and rural locations, such as Argyll
• Ssupport to encourage Health Boards to co-locate services and work more effectively together with local authority and other partners, in Broxburn, West Lothian and initiatives across East Ayrshire
• Platforms for better delivery of NHS dentistry, such as Lauriston walk in centre
• Models for modern community pharmacy, such as Colinton, East Kilbride and Hilltown, Dundee

The new Bonnyrigg Health Centre, one of the largest of its kind in the UK, provides homes for three GP practices, along with district nurses, health visitors, midwives, physiotherapists and other health workers. It is four times larger than the one it replaces, serves a patient population of approximately 25,000 and comprises of 21 GP consulting rooms, 10 treatment rooms, Minor Surgery Suite, two Midwifery Consulting Rooms, Physiotherapy Gym and Treatment Cubicles, two podiatry Treatment Rooms, Health Visitors Consulting Room and Health Education Room, Community Consulting Rooms and Interview Rooms.
Other services include:

• Supporting Learning Disabilities
• Community Care of the Elderly
• Community Dementia Team
• Dietetics
• District Nurses
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Community Occupational Therapy.

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