Designs for a “centre of excellence” for planned surgeries at Perth Royal Infirmary have been formally lodged by NHS Tayside.
The £35 million elective care centre aims to meet the demands of the region’s growing population.
It is one of five new care facilities being funded by the Scottish Government as part its National Elective Centre Programme.
Specialist complex to offer range of procedures
The specialist complex is likely to offer a range of procedures such as breast surgery, gynaecology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, dermatology and ear, nose and throat treatments.
The proposals for the centre, which will be known officially as the National Treatment Centre – Tayside, include five theatres to complement the five existing theatres at Perth Royal Infirmary.
In addition, the centre could have two enhanced treatment rooms for ophthalmology and day procedures, dedicated patient rooms for all pre and post-operative checks, and a short-stay unit for people who require a brief period of care after their procedure.
The application also outlines plans for additional car parking.
A site next to Perth Royal Infirmary’s current theatre suite, situated on Taymount Terrace, has been earmarked for the project.
If approved, building work could begin later this year, with the intention for the bespoke facility to welcome its first patients in December 2024.
The plans will be considered by Perth and Kinross Council in the coming months.
Building to be sustainable
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “At the end of last year, the Scottish Government published a new policy and guidance around sustainable design, construction and development as part of its response to the global climate emergency.
“This new legislation means that all new NHS buildings or major refurbishments must have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and that all NHS buildings must be heated from renewable sources by 2038 or earlier.
The team is currently working on the design of the state-of-the-art centre, which will have net-zero greenhouse emissions and be heated from renewable sources.”
NHS Tayside
“The National Treatment Centre – Tayside team is now working on the final stages of the outline business case which has involved some re-design of the original plans to ensure that the design of the centre complies with this policy.”
The spokesperson added: “The team is currently working on the design of the state-of-the-art centre, which will have net-zero greenhouse emissions and be heated from renewable sources.”
The next stage of the project will be the development of the full business case.
This will be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval when the timescale of the build and completion date will be outlined.
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