Pioneering new multi-care centre opens in Highlands

A huge new medical centre in the Highlands which could radically change how Scottish healthcare is delivered opens its doors to patients today.

The pioneering facility at Nairn – the first of its kind in the country – has experts from various fields of medicine working together under the same roof.

More than 200 staff, including doctors, social workers and midwives, are based at the primary care centre, next to Nairn Town and County Hospital in Cawdor Road.

A five-surgery dental practice will open at the centre next month.

The new centre replaces the town’s Lodgehill clinic and the Nairn branch of the Ardersier surgery, which was in a house in Douglas Street.

Staff from both centres will now work together alongside members of Highland Council’s social work department in the three-storey building.

Dr Adrian Baker, a GP formerly based at Lodgehill and clinical leader for NHS Highland in the Nairn and Ardersier locality, praised the “wonderful example of a modern premises”.

He said: “This is a historic moment and the realisation of a vision that has been held for over two decades by the community and staff. People in different departments will now be able to have face-to-face conversations, which will help us to form a cohesive team.

“It’s having everything under one roof that’s going to make a huge difference for patients and staff.”

The centre, described as Scotland’s most integrated medical facility, includes 22 consulting rooms, a minor surgery room and a conference room.
hi-tech

Patients can check in for appointments by using electronic touch-screens.

Health staff, including district nurses, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physiotherapists and dieticians, began moving into the building last week.

Highland and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant believes the centre could become a model for the rest of Scotland.

She said: “I think a lot of areas are looking at that idea where services such as social work are in the same building. Then patients with complex needs do not have to go to 20 different places to talk to people who all think different things.”

Liz Bow, a former patient of Lodgehill, said the new building was easier for her to enter using her wheelchair.

The 60-year-old mother-of two, of Moss-side Drive, Nairn, said: “I’m impressed by the amount of space . . . as a wheelchair user I found it hard to access the practice at Lodgehill.

“I have received medical care for the past 36 years and I think it’s fantastic having everything on one site.”

Council staff involved in fostering, adoption and community care have also been moved to the new facility from the town’s Corsee Resource Centre care home.

Catherine MacKenzie, deputy manager in district nursing for NHS Highland, added: “We are delighted to be working with our health and social care colleagues under one roof. This allows us to work as a more integrated team in order to provide the best possible care for patients in the locality.”
‘fantastic’

Both the hospital, which opened last year, and the primary care centre were built at a cost of £12million.

Highland Council convener Sandy Park said: “This is a fantastic day for Nairn and a fantastic day for the Highlands. We have doctors, dentists and social workers under one roof and it is an example that others will follow.”

Nairn councillor Liz MacDonald said the “one-stop-shop” centre will mean that people would not have to travel long distances for specialist care or advice.

“I think we are very lucky in Nairn to have this service on our doorstep,” she added.

“By having all of the professionals in together they will work better together.”

Donald McLachlan, operations director with Morrison Construction, which built the centre, said: “I see it becoming very much a flagship community hospital of which NHS Highland can be proud, and which will facilitate modernisation of the provision of healthcare services for the local area.”

An official opening ceremony will be in September.