The Outline Business Case for a new integrated health and social care development has been formally approved by the Scottish Government which means plans can now be taken forward to the next stage. This will include the development of more detailed designs and financial costings.

These will form part of a Full Business Case which will be submitted in the next few months. If approved, construction could then start in Summer 2015 and the new facilities could be operational in Summer 2017.

Tom Steele, NHS Forth Valley’s director of estates and facilities, said: “The approval of these initial plans takes us a significant step closer to creating this important new facility.

“A great deal of work has already been carried out by all the partners involved and these plans will now be developed in more detail over the next few months to enable final proposals for the facility to be submitted 2015.”

The new Care Village would bring wide range of health, social care and GP services provided by Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley and a number of local GP practices.

Services would be delivered in a modern, purpose-built facility with more than 100 short-stay care beds.

The plans would also see the creation of new facilities to house a number of existing health services on the site including Minor Injuries Services, X-ray and GP out-of-hours services along with a number of local GP practices which are keen to be part of the new development. These include the Viewfield, Park Avenue, Park Terrace and Wallace Medical Practices in Stirling.

There would also be the potential to develop a range of onsite recreational facilities such as a café and a hair salon where older people could socialise and meet up with friends and family.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has put forward plans to relocate their existing ambulance station in the Riverside area of Stirling to a new facility on the Stirling Community Hospital site. There are longer term plans to explore the development of commercial, flexible and adaptable housing and a masterplan has been developed to show where the different health, social care and potential new housing could be located on the site.

Key Appointments - hub East Central Scotland

Contractor:

Robertson Construction

FM Operator:

FES FM

Architect:

JM Architects

Civil & Structural Engineer:

Woolgar Hunter

Building Services:

DSSR

CDMC:

Kirk & Marsh

BREEAM Assessor:

BRE