Work starts on £840m NHS hospital

Helen McArdle

Published on 16 Mar 2010

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has officially marked the beginning of the biggest NHS hospital build project ever undertaken in Scotland with a promise that it will provide a “shot in the arm” for the local economy.

The £840 million project to amalgamate maternity, children’s and adult services in the south-west of Glasgow has been touted as providing a “gold standard” model for healthcare in Scotland.

The project, due for completion in 2015, will locate the trio of hospitals on the site of the Southern General Hospital in Govan.

Some 2,500 jobs will be created during the five-year project, which is expected to contribute about £30 million per year to the local economy.

State-of-the art laboratory facilities will be built during the next phase of construction, which began yesterday.

Ms Sturgeon said: “This project will transform the future of healthcare in Glasgow for patients and staff alike. This project has the potential to regenerate and breathe new life into Glasgow’s economy and indeed the wider Scottish community.”

She acknowledged that the new campus was being built during difficult economic conditions but emphasised that the Scottish Government would continue to invest in other services around the country.

“We’re determined as much as we can to keep investing in the NHS infrastructure,” she said.

Brookfield Construction has been awarded the contract to complete the new campus. The company’s UK director, Ross Ballingall, said: “Where possible we will be advertising for local sub-contractors and offering jobs and training local apprentices and people who are currently unemployed.”