NHS Tayside’s board has approved the full business case for a children’s theatre suite project and neonatal intensive care unit at Ninewells.
Work on the £18.3 million four-storey building, funded by NHS Tayside, the Scottish Government and The Archie Foundation, has started and is due to be completed by November 2020.
This project will create a dedicated children’s theatre suite with a pre-assessment/waiting area, two operating theatres and a 10-bed ward area.
Currently, half of young patients have operations away from a the dedicated children’s environment.
It is estimated the new suite will allow that figure to increase to 85%.
The board paper states: “The need for change is required as none of the facilities currently used for paediatric surgery in Ninewells Hospital fully meet UK best standards as defined by a number of Royal Colleges and a range of specialist associations and societies.”
The total cost of the theatre suite is £11.5m.
Fundraising has been frantic across Tayside and Fife and included the auction of statues from the original Oor Wullie Bucket Trail in 2017.
NHS Tayside is funding £7.7m and The Archie Foundation has contributed £2m.
The Scottish Government has been asked to provide the additional £1.8m for the multi-storey plant room which will also service the neonatal intensive care unit.
The total cost of the neonatal intensive care unit is £7.2m. A further £500,000 will come from NHS Tayside and £6.7m has been requested from the Scottish Government.
Project co-ordinator Kay Fowlie told the board she is “confident the Scottish Government will approve funding.”
The current neonatal intensive care unit decanted to ward 31 in June in conditions that Ms Fowlie described as “less than ideal but satisfactory.”
Alison Wright, senior nurse at neonatal services, said: “The move went well. It’s a major undertaking. We are grateful to everyone for their support.”
She added: “We have got our sights set on what we are moving back to.”
Board member Trudy McLeay thanked the people of Tayside and north east Fife for their contributions to The Archie Foundation.
