New mental health details unveiled on Tayside

DETAILS of new £95million mental health facilities in Tayside will be unveiled at a series of open days later this week. NHS Tayside has organised the events, at Montrose and at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin, to update the public on plans for Stracathro and Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.

In June, the health authority awarded the contract for the scheme to Taycare, a branch of Robertson Capital Projects. The Stirling-based company specialises in developing public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the education, health and social care sectors.

More than 120 staff will be employed at the Stracathro site which will include 25 general psychiatry in-patient beds, 27 beds for older people and an eight-place day hospital.

It will also include associated services such as a pharmacy, chiropody and occupational therapy departments, and offices. A further 183 beds will be created at Murray Royal Hospital.

Taycare will provide detailed models and drawings of the hospitals. Consultation on the proposals has been carried out with service users, staff and local communities.

NHS Tayside’s mental health services programme director Hazel Mitchell said: “This exciting development is a significant step forward in providing much-needed high-quality clinical environments and all of our key groups have significantly contributed to the design of these facilities.”

The open days will be held at Sunnyside Royal Hospital at Montrose, from 10am-3pm on Friday and at Stracathro between 10am-1pm on Saturday.

Information sessions will also be held at Murray Royal between 10am-4pm on Friday and from 10am-1pm on Saturday.