£34.4 million has been invested in improving NHS facilities in Dumfries and Galloway.
The funding has enabled patients in the Dumfries and Galloway area to benefit from a new £27.2 million acute mental health unit at Midpark Hospital in Dumfries, a £250,000 Satellite Renal Dialysis unit at Kirkcudbright Cottage Hospital, and a £900,000 respite care centre for children at Acorn House.
The £6 million North West Dumfries Primary Care Centre is also due to open by the end of this year.
In addition, the area is benefitting from £3 million investment in projects identified for delivery through revenue funding via the hub initiative.
These include the £1 million Dunscore Health Centre and £2 million Dalbeattie Health Centre.
The investment has been highlighted to coincide with a visit by Public Health Minister Michael Matheson to the Acorn House Centre in Dumfries and the Satellite Renal Dialysis Unit today (Thursday).
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said:
“Having the right facilities, in the right place is important to people across Scotland and that is why we are determined to ensure both staff and patients the length and breadth of the country can work and be treated in the best possible surroundings.
“This significant investment in health building projects clearly sets out the strength of our commitment to the NHS in Scotland, and will mean that we can provide more sustainable, high quality and continually improving health care services close to home in Dumfries and Galloway and across the country.”
Jeff Ace, Chief Executive, NHS Dumfries and Galloway welcomed the Mr Matheson to the region and said: “We are delighted that he has chosen this opportunity to visit our innovative satellite renal unit project at Kirkcudbright Cottage Hospital and to see at first hand how we are developing high quality safe and effective person-centred care closer to our rural communities.
“We are especially pleased that he has agreed to perform the official opening of Acorn House, Dumfries, the new modern, fit for purpose respite centre for children and young adults which we have developed in close association with staff, service users, carers and our Council partners.”
The £27.2 million Acute Mental Health Unit at Midpark Hospital opened in November 2011. This development created modern, state of the art facilities for acute mental health assessment and treatment.
The £6 million North West Dumfries Primary Care Centre will provide modern fit for purpose facilities to deliver primary care services within the local community. The project is expected to be completed in November 2012.
The Satellite Renal Dialysis Unit at Kirkcudbright Cottage Hospital will provide three haemo-dialysis stations for the west of the region enabling up to nine patients to undergo dialysis three times a week.
By using part of Kirkcudbright Hospital, the unit will serve patients within a 30 minute drive rather than having to travel to either of the two existing renal units – the main unit at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and the secondary unit at the Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer. The unit is due to open later this year.
Acorn house is a £900,000 new development in Galloway which provides respite care for children. It is a jointly run by NHS Dumfries and Galloway and Dumfries and Galloway Council.