Work starts on new Stirling Health & Care Village

Key partners involved in the development of the new Stirling Health & Care Village got together to cut the first sods to mark the start of construction yesterday.

The £35 million development is being built in the grounds of Stirling Community Hospital. It is a joint venture between Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Forth Valley College will also offer a range of training and volunteering opportunities to local young people who may be considering a career in the health and care sector.

hub East Central Scotland is managing the project and Robertson is the main contractor. Most of the facilities are expected to be complete by autumn 2018 with the ambulance station and final site works completed by autumn 2019.

The Health & Care Village will support the integration of local health and social care services, making it easier for staff to work together to deliver better co-ordinated, more joined up care to local people – a key aim of the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership.

This will be achieved by bringing a wide range of health and social services together in two new purpose-built facilities – a Care Hub and a Primary and Urgent Care Centre. The Scottish Ambulance Service also plans to move their existing ambulance station in the Riverside area of Stirling to a new station and workshop on the Stirling Community Hospital site.

More than 100 beds will be created in the new Care Hub to provide short-term care, assessment or rehabilitation to older people who require additional support following an illness or operation. These services will be provided in a comfortable, homely environment to help older people recover, regain their independence and, in the majority of cases, return to their own homes. The Care Hub will also provide support for patients with dementia and those who need palliative or end of life care.

The new Primary and Urgent Care Centre will provide more modern, spacious accommodation for a number of existing health services include Minor Injuries, X-ray facilities and GP out-of-hours services. It will also house a number of local GP practices which will re-locate to purpose-built premises within the new Centre.