'Healthy future' ahead as hospital plans are lodged

HERE is the first image of what the new £15 million Badenoch and Strathspey Community Hospital will look like.

Plans for the new facility at Dalfaber in Aviemore were lodged with Highland Council's planning service in Kingussie earlier this week.

NHS Highland's project director for the Badenoch and Strathspey redesign Georgia Haire told the Strathy: "This is another exciting step.

"The submission of the planning application signals that we are at an advanced stage in the design of the new facility and we hope to have a positive conclusion to the application process which is expected to take 16 weeks."

Subject to planning approval, the new development will include:

• 24 inpatient beds
• A new Scottish Ambulance base
• Three minor injuries/out-of-hours treatment rooms; and
• An outpatient department and X-ray facilities

There will also be 12 consulting and treatment rooms in the new Aviemore Medical Practice which will form part of the complex.

NHS chiefs hope that the facility will open its doors in April 2021.

* See this week's Strathy for the full story and reaction.

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