Two hospitals in Badenoch and Strathspey earmarked for closure as part of modernisation
Badenoch and Strathspey’s two hospitals are being earmarked for closure, with a single new community hospital to be built in their place.
For the first time, NHS Highland has stated that the preferred option is to shut Ian Charles Hospital in Grantown and St Vincent’s Hospital in Kingussie and provide a new facility in a ‘central location’.
A steering group set up to look at modernising health care provision in the area has identified the new build as the best way forward.
Members include senior NHS Highland managers; local GPs, nurses and other clinical staff; Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillors and community leaders and representatives from the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
No cost, additional range of health care services or potential locations for the new hospital have been revealed, nor has a timetable been given, and the go-ahead and funding would be required from the Scottish Government.
There would have to be a formal three-month public consultation on the major shake-up in services.
It will cost an estimated £3.2 million to modernise St Vincent’s Hospital to bring the building in line with the required national standards – and that would be to meet current minimum requirements.
Grantown’s Ian Charles Hospital is also suffering from age-related problems and the bill there is understood to be around £2 million.
Grantown GP Boyd Peters, a member of the steering group, said: "The two old hospitals require such a huge amount of work to bring them up to modern health care standards that the only viable option in my mind is to build a hospital that is compliant with these requirements.
"Spending £5.2 million will not futureproof our current hospitals, and they will still end up being shut down at some point in the future.
"I certainly do not want to see a single day where this locality does not have its own hospital services."
