Construction starts on final stage of Forth Valley National Treatment Centre

CONSTRUCTION work is underway on the build of a new inpatient ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert.

The project marks the final stage in the development of a new National Treatment Centre at the hospital. The 30-bed ward is part of a £17 million national investment that has also funded the opening of two additional operating theatres and the installation of a second MRI scanner.

The National Treatment Centre ward will create extra capacity to care for the increasing numbers of patients who require orthopaedic surgery. Along with the additional theatre and MRI scanning capacity, it will enable around 1,500 additional operations to be carried out every year.

Cathie Cowan, chief executive of NHS Forth Valley, said, “Staff across the organisation have worked incredibly hard over the last few years to deliver this major expansion programme and I’m delighted that we are now marking the beginning of the final stage in this important national development. This will ensure we are able to keep pace with increased demand and reduce waiting times for the thousands of patients who require hip or knee surgery every year.”

Scottish Government health secretary Humza Yousaf commented, “I am pleased construction has now commenced on the inpatient ward for the National Treatment Centre (NTC) in Forth Valley, which is a significant milestone for the programme. We know that the pandemic has taken its toll on services like orthopaedics, but the network of NTCs – including the new centre in Forth Valley – will help address this and be central to NHS recovery.”