An innovative new Care Village will be built in the grounds of Stirling Community Hospital following the approval of detailed plans.

A full business case for the £35m development has been approved by the Scottish Government which means building work will begin in January 2017 and the majority of the new facilities are expected to be operational by autumn 2018. Final building works, roads and car parking are expected to be completed by autumn 2019.

The new Care Village is a joint venture by Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Ambulance Service and 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 plans will see the creation of a new Care Hub for older people who require additional short-term care, an assessment or rehabilitation following an illness, an operation or an acute hospital admission. The Care Hub will also provide specialist support for patients with dementia and those who require palliative and end of life care.  Services will be delivered in a modern, purpose-built facility with more than 100 short-stay care beds. This will ensure older people are cared for in comfortable, homely environment to help them recover, regain their independence and, in the majority of cases, return to their own homes

A new Primary and Urgent Care Centre will also be developed to house a number of existing health services on the community hospital site. These include Minor Injuries Services, X-ray facilities and GP out-of-hours services along with primary care services provided by the Viewfield, Park Avenue, Park Terrace and Wallace Medical Practices which will relocate to purpose-built premises within the new Primary Care Centre. In addition, the Scottish Ambulance Service plan to relocate their existing ambulance station in the Riverside area of Stirling to a new facility on the Stirling Community Hospital site.

Alongside the development of the new purpose-built health and care accommodation, partners are keen to develop a range of onsite recreational facilities, such as a café and a hair salon, where older people could socialise and meet up with friends and family. Forth Valley College is also keen to explore opportunities for people who want a career in health and care services to be trained within the new Care Village as this has the potential to provide a wide range of employment, training, placement and volunteering opportunities for local young people.

A community information event will be held on Wednesday 25^th January 2017 in the Lecture Theatre at Stirling Community Hospital  to give local people and community groups an opportunity to see the site plans and provide an update on the construction timetable for the new Stirling Care Village. There will be drop in sessions running from 2pm – 4pm and 6:30pm – 8:30pm.  Staff from the different partner organisations involved will also be on hand to answer any questions

Tom Steele, NHS Forth Valley’s Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “A great deal of work has been carried out by all the partners to reach this important milestone.  We are delighted that our joint plans have been approved and we are now looking forward to delivering these important new health and care facilities.”

Councillor Christine Simpson, Stirling Council’s Social Care Convenor, said: “Stirling Council worked closely with NHS Forth Valley and Forth Valley College to develop the full business case and I welcome its approval. Stirling Council remains committed to working in partnership with NHS Forth Valley to develop the Care Village and ensure that services are delivered in a modern, purpose-built facility.”

Cllr Neil Benny, Stirling’s Economy and Finance Convenor said “The approval of the Stirling Care Village business case is an important a big step forward for the Stirling area. The Care Village will not only ensure that the best care is provided for our residents, but could also open up pathways to new training and employment opportunities for many of our young people.”

Lewis Campbell, General Manager East Central Division, Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The new station will ensure that our ambulance teams have a modern, fit for purpose work environment with facilities that support the continued delivery of the highest standards of patient care. It will also incorporate modern facilities that support the ongoing professional development of clinical skills and meet the required NHS standards for infection control.”

Sarah Higgins, Curriculum Manager (Acting Head) Department Care, Health and Sport, Forth Valley College said: “Stirling Care Village is an exciting project which will provide high quality facilities within the local area. We look forward to continuing to work with all partners to identify opportunities to support workforce development within this field.”

Gary Bushnell, Chief Executive, hub East Central Scotland, said: “Our team has worked closely with all the partners to achieve this important stage of the project and we look forward to managing the delivery of a high quality facility to successful completion. Our experts will ensure that the Stirling Care Village is completed to the highest standard to fulfil its important role in the community.”