A topping out ceremony at the new Stirling Care Village was held on Friday 24^th November 2017 to mark the final tiles being placed on the roof of the new Care Hub building. The hub will have more than 100 beds and will provide short-term care, assessment or rehabilitation to older people who require additional support following an illness or operation. Set in a comfortable, homely environment it aims to help older people recover, regain their independence and, in the majority of cases, return to their own homes.

Also being built in the grounds of Stirling Community Hospital is the Primary and Urgent Care Centre which will provide more modern, spacious accommodation for a number of existing health services including Minor Injuries services, X-ray facilities and GP out-of-hours services. It will also house a number of local GP practices, which are relocating to the centre.

The new Stirling Care Village is a £35m development, which is a joint venture between Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley, the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Integration Joint Board and the Scottish Ambulance Service, who plan to re-locate their existing ambulance station there from the Riverside area of the city. Forth Valley College is also keen to explore opportunities to offer local young people who are considering a career in the health and care sector, a range of training and volunteering opportunities within the new Care Village.

The Care Village will also support the integration of local health and social care services, making it easier for staff to work together to deliver better co-ordinated, more joined up care to local people – a key aim of the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership.

Robertson Construction are the main contractors and the project is being developed through hub East Central Scotland (a joint partnership between public and private sector organisations aimed at developing and delivering better local services across East Central Scotland). The majority of facilities are expected to be completed by autumn 2018 with the ambulance station and final site works completed by autumn 2019.

Julia Swan, Vice-Chair. NHS Forth Valley said: “I am delighted that construction work on this important new facility is progressing well. A lot of detailed planning has taken place to reach this important milestone and it is exciting to see both the new buildings on the site take shape.”

Councillor Scott Farmer, Leader of Stirling Council and Chair of the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Integration Joint Board, said: “I was delighted to attend the topping out ceremony for the new Care Hub building and witness another important step in the development of Stirling Care Village.  The Care Hub building will be of huge benefit to older people who require support after an illness or operation, helping them regain their independence and, hopefully, eventually return to their own homes.  It is exciting to witness the new buildings on the site take shape, as the construction of Stirling Care Village represents the future of quality care and health services in the Stirling area.”

Gary Bushnell, Chief Executive, hub East Central Scotland said: “The project is making excellent progress and we continue to work closely with all of the partners, to manage its successful delivery on time and on budget.”

Commenting, Bruce Crawford MSP for Stirling said: “I am delighted to attend the topping out ceremony at the Stirling Care Village with the finial tiles being fitted onto the roof of the Care Hub building. This £35 million development is a remarkable achievement and will go a long way in securing the future of care in our local area.  I commend the efforts of everyone involved in the development of the Care Village and look forward to the majority of facilities near completion over the next few months.”

Dr Ken Thomson, Principal of Forth Valley College, said: “It is exciting to see the construction of the new Care Hub reaching the topping out stage. We can’t wait to see the entire project completed, so we can begin work on helping to train the next generation of NHS professionals who will use this wonderful facility to care for the people of Forth Valley.”