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By Scott Wright

A SCOTTISH cosmetic surgery provider is poised to open a new private hospital in Glasgow as consumers show increasing demand for elective procedures outwith the NHS, which continues to wade through backlogs arising from the pandemic.

Cosmedicare UK, which offers procedures such as breast reconstruction, pain management and private GP services, has secured planning permission for a day-case facility on Sauchiehall Street.

The company will invest £2.5 million in the development of the site formerly occupied by the Slumdog Bar & Kitchen, close to the Glasgow Dental Hospital, which it hopes to open towards the end of the year. It will be the third private hospital to be opened by Cosmedicare UK, adding to its clinical facility in Edinburgh and its £5m St Ellen’s Hospital in Livingston, which opened in October.

The investment comes as the company reports growing demand for clinical services in the west of Scotland.

Asked if that demand has been sparked by the current backlog of work faced by the NHS, Gill Baird, founder and chief executive of Cosmedicare UK told The Herald: “We focus on elective procedures, which means patients are opting to self-pay for their treatment.

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“The NHS backlogs have undoubtedly had an effect on the rise in demand, however this has been combined with a cultural behavioural shift in society whereby people are realising the NHS is not an infinite resource and cannot be all things to all people – consumers are therefore prioritising their expenditure to access lifestyle-enhancing treatments and are now more understanding of the need to pay for these services.”

The new Glasgow clinic will employ around 40 staff, with all medical professionals holding relevant UK qualifications and consultant-level experience. Ms Baird said Cosmedicare UK’s clinicians split their time between the NHS and private practice, a model similar to adopted by other private hospital providers.

Ms Baird said the company is still awaiting a building warrant for the Sauchiehall Street project, and hopes work on the site will start in June. The hospital will include six consultation rooms, two theatres, four recovery suites and treatment rooms for minor operations, as well as a spacious reception, waiting areas and staff and storage facilities.

The company said it will fund the development from its own resources, and noted that a percentage of profits will go towards the Cosmedicare Trust, which was set up to make private procedures more financially accessible.

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Ms Baird said: “We only opened the doors to St Ellen’s Hospital six months ago and whilst it was a huge project to get over the line given the challenges working with pandemic restrictions, we had been actively looking for a prominent city centre site in Glasgow.

Sauchiehall Street met our criteria for expansion of our clinical services so we’re delighted to get the application over the line and commence with the build.

“The demand is there from our existing and potential west-coast based clientele looking for pre-and post-operative day-case facilities in Glasgow city centre. This is by no means a satellite facility of St Ellen’s, the new Sauchiehall Street is a standalone day-case hospital that will provide much-needed practitioner focused services led by leading specialists and surgeons in the private sector and NHS under the Cosmedicare and St Ellen’s brands.”

While many businesses have closed on Sauchiehall Street amid the fall-out from the pandemic, Ms Baird said she was excited at the prospect of playing a role in its “rejuvenation”.

She believes the future of the famous street will depend on attracting investment in sectors beyond hospitality, but expressed the view that there is some council red tape that needs to be addressed.

Ms Baird said: “This is one of Glasgow’s main city centre streets yet so far it’s lacked major investment or redevelopment so it’s exciting to help play a part in Sauchiehall Street’s rejuvenation.

“The street is crying out for change and we would urge the council and property owners to consider introducing new offerings and not just bars and takeaways.

“Other restrictions on aspects such as having a skip on the street are very expensive barriers to development as it cost us five times the amount we initially budgeted to clear out the building. This needs to be addressed with the relevant bodies to avoid stifling further development opportunities in the city centre.”