Scottish government rejects £2bn hospital replacement plans

The Scottish government has rejected plans to replace a hospital in North Lanarkshire which would have cost £2bn.

A proposed replacement for the Monklands Hospital in Airdrie was earmarked to be built on farmland at Wester Moffat.

However, Health Secretary Angela Constance said it did not deliver value for money and has ordered a "comprehensive redesign" of the proposals.

The revised plans are due to go before the Scottish government next year, which could delay the target opening date in 2031.

A replacement for Monklands was included as a promise in the SNP's 2026 election manifesto.

NHS Lanarkshire described the new hospital as a "revolutionary blueprint" for healthcare in the region after approving a business case in December.

The plans went before the Scottish government for consideration that month.

They would have brought specialist services from across Lanarkshire - including cancer care, renal medicine, urology services and ear nose and throat surgery – under one roof.

They also suggested turning the current Monklands site into a "healthcare village".

However, the Scottish government said the proposed design "would not deliver value for money for the public purse".

In a statement, Constance said the £2.1bn outlay was "significantly more expensive than comparable programmes" and that it would "represent an unprecedented concentration of capital investment in a single health project".

She said the total cost would amount to about £5m per bed.

Constance said: "I recognise this will be disappointing for staff and communities who have been engaging patiently for a number of years in the development of plans.

"This is not a decision I have taken lightly – we are fully committed to building a new hospital at Monklands.

"However, it is also my responsibility to ensure that major investment decisions are affordable, deliverable, and aligned with the future direction of our health and care system."

Constance added "targeted investment" would be directed to the current Monklands facility to help tackle existing pressures while new design work is carried out.

Labour's health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, said the decision was "bitterly disappointing" for the local community.

She added: "It has taken the SNP just seven weeks to start ditching manifesto promises.

"At best, the SNP was economical with the truth and made promises they had no budget to deliver.

"The SNP needs to start being honest with the public and set out clear timescales for delivering this badly needed hospital."