Badenoch hospital will switch from NHS to Highland council ‘within weeks’
As controversy grows over the condition of Kingussie’s former St Vincent’s Hospital, NHS Highland have confirmed that matters are in hand.
Community representatives told the Strathy last month that the state of the building - which was closed in 2021 after being declared surplus to local health service requirements - was nothing short of an ‘absolute disgrace’.
Once an iconic symbol of local health care - initially a sanitarium at the beginning of the 20th century - the building had become a target for local vandals and had been left open to the elements, which in turn were doing their worst after a series of storms.
“I lay this firmly at the door of NHS Highland who should have had this sorted long ago.,” said Highland Councillor Russell Jones.
“They are responsible for the fate of this building which served this community so well for so long.”
The building opened in 1901 as the Grampian Sanitorium and became St Vincent’s on its takeover the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, only joining the National Health Service in 1986.
It closed its doors three years ago on the opening of the new community hospital in Aviemore.
Since then it has been the target of vandals who have left it vulnerable to storm weather.
The latest vandal report came from neighbour Kevin McLean, who told the Strathy: “It would be great to know what NHS Highland intent to do with the building and its security.
“I never get any response other than acknowledging my notification of damage.
“The poor place has so much boarding, it looks like a sad wooden box. I fully expect the vandalism will just rumble on until the community or police identify those responsible.
This week a spokesperson for NHS Highland told the Strathy: ”We are in the process of disposing of the site and buildings to the Highland Council.
“We hope the disposal will complete within the next few weeks.”
