New £6million Easter Ross health centre a step closer

PLANS for a new £6million Easter Ross health centre have been given a major shot in the arm.

NHS Highland confirmed today that "financial close" on the Tain Health Centre plans was received last week, wrapping up the many months of planning for the replacement.

Miller Construction - been appointed as the main contractor - will now take ownership of the site.

They will start to take immediate steps to prepare the ground ready for construction. Building works will start in May and the facility is expected to be completed by April 2014.

Nigel Small, Director of Operations for NHS Highland’s South and Mid Operational Unit, said: “This is great news and a significant milestone in the process for delivering the new health centre development.

"This has been a complex development and a lot of work has been happening in the background to get us to this stage. I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone involved for their hard work and enthusiasm.

“Preparatory work will start straight away and people will start to notice things happening like fences going up. It is going to be a busy but exciting 12 months.”

Work on the new building is being overseen by the Tain Health Centre Project Group which includes practice, dental, community and patient representatives.

Nigel Small said: “The Group were delighted with the news and commented on how helpful everyone had been. In particular they acknowledged the strong backing the project had received from the Board of NHS Highland.

“The Group will continue to meet until the centre is completed. Members will also be making links with local schools, and other groups, to involve them in preparing some art work for the new centre. There will also be other opportunities for community involvement with the development.”

The new, two-storey health centre will have 12 GP consulting rooms and three treatment rooms for the two local practices. It will also accommodate a four-room dental suite and the community staff will have two clinical treatment rooms, three clinical consulting rooms, two clinical interview rooms, a podiatry treatment room and a physiotherapy treatment room.

The project has been supported by capital enabling funds from the Scottish Government and is being developed through the Scottish Futures Trust hub initiative, which makes it possible for a group of smaller projects to be bundled together into a single project that provides better value for money.

NHS Highland has already completed construction of the new access road which will be shared with the proposed adjacent care home.