New Tayside psychiatric units move step closer

Plans for a £95million development of mental health services in Tayside have taken a step forward with the award of the project’s contract.

The NHS North of Scotland Planning Group has appointed Taycare, a branch of Robertson Capital Projects, to develop the new psychiatric units at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth and at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin.

The Stirling-based company specialises in developing public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the education, health and social care sectors.

The planning group, which is made up of NHS Tayside, Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, said the new facilities would provide high-quality inpatient, outpatient and day-patient facilities for people from across Tayside.

The development will also include a new medium-secure care clinic, which will take patients from the whole of the north of Scotland.

NHS Tayside will discuss design details with Taycare over the coming months before final approval is given by the Scottish Government and all five participating NHS boards.

Yesterday’s announcement was welcomed by Public Health Minister Shona Robison. She said: “This development represents a huge boost to the mental healthcare facilities within NHS Tayside and the wider north of Scotland.

“It will provide a state-of-the-art setting within which people experiencing mental health problems will be able to get the help and support they need.

“I’m also extremely pleased that this major project will support local construction jobs during the tough economic climate and provide a range of new healthcare and other jobs when completed.”

The new secure-care clinic at Stracathro will replace and expand existing NHS Tayside low-secure care services.

It will provide 35 inpatient beds, a 20-place day centre and community services. It will also include a regional medium-secure care service of 32 inpatient beds for patients from across the north of Scotland NHS board areas at Murray Royal.

A group representing the local community, users and carers has been set up to examine the options for the remaining land and buildings at the Perth hospital site.

The group will hold its first meeting on July 2 and report to NHS Tayside early next year.

Between them the projects will create 176 jobs.

NHS Tayside chairman Sandy Watson said: “The development of these fantastic new facilities, whose design has had so much input from so many people with a real involvement in the two hospitals, underlines NHS Tayside’s commitment to the care of patients with mental illness.

“I’m also delighted that, in partnership with Grampian, Highland, Orkney and Shetland NHS Boards, we are, for the first time, providing beds for patients from the north of Scotland region who require care in a medium-secure setting.”

Preparations for construction at Murray Royal will be made between the end of July and the end of the year.

Building is scheduled to begin in spring next year.