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The Scottish government recently announced that the country’s largest ever hospital building project will be entirely publicly funded.
Approval has been granted for the 842 million pound construction of the New Southern Hospital in Glasgow, which will see an integrated children’s and adult hospital built on the site of the current Southern General Hospital.
The 1,109-bed adult hospital will provide acute in-patient care, some medical day cases and out-patient clinics.
The new 240-bed children’s hospital will offer accident and emergency services as well as the full range of in-patient and day case paediatric services.
A new laboratory will also be built, providing biochemistry, haematology, blood transfusion and mortuary services.
Speaking to the STUC conference in Inverness yesterday, First Minister Alex Salmond said:
“This Scottish Government is determined to get value for money for the public purse and that is exactly what this deal represents.
“By funding the entire project through public finance, we are ensuring it is deliverable, affordable, sustainable and represents best value for money for the taxpayer.”
