Fort William's 'new Belford' detailed plans revealed

The completion date was originally set for 2026.

The health board has released further details ahead of a public meeting next week, where local people and stakeholders will be given the chance to grill NHS leaders about the plans before the full business case is finalised.

The hospital will double surgical capacity with two operating theatres, considered critical given the number of road and mountaineering accidents.

There are approximately 10,000 A&E attendances every year at the Belford with a high proportion related to outdoor activities.

There will also be a number of other services which have not previously been available locally.

READ MORE: Highland hospital delayed by 18 years could be modelled on Orkney's says top doctor

Louise Bussell, board nurse director and senior officer for the Lochaber redesign said there would be similarities with other hospitals built by NHS Highland in recent years in Skye and Badenoch and Strathspey but said it was important that the replacement was "unique and special" for local people.

Belford was built in 1965 and is now the last of Scotland’s six rural generals to be replaced or upgraded.

Former head surgeon David Sedgwick said that when he took up the post in 1992 he was given assurances that a new hospital in Lochaber would be built within 10 years.

The health board said the hospital will have capacity to look after patients who require high-dependency care, although there will not be a dedicated unit.

"The intention is that within the ward environment, there will be space for whatever needs people have," said the project leader.

"One of the things we have got to do is to consider how we can use service areas flexibly.

"So if worst came to worst and we had another pandemic, have we another area of the hospital that could be used for that."

The current Belford hospital has 34 beds and the number for the replacement is still under negotiation. Orkney's new rural general hospital has 48 beds.

"It's a difficult one," said Ms Bussell.

"It's always one of those things where we could put in dozens and dozens more beds but there is always going to be the challenge of funding and staffing.

"We are building an acute hospital but we can't build a hospital for beds because we don't have them elsewhere in the system."

She said the hospital would have two operating theatres with one for surgery and the other for emergencies and other procedures including endoscopies. 

READ MORE: Belford Hospital re-build campaigners frustrated by two-year delay 

The board has said the new Belford will not have a permanent MRI scanner in place. 

She said: "Realistically running a 24-hour MRI scanner there - at the moment - would be tricky.

"We wouldn't realistically want to put it in for emergency scans because actually if someone requires an MRI scan, we would rather they were in a place where they could get intensive care if they needed it.

"We are planning on having a point where a mobile scanner can be placed.

She said the new hospital would add a rehab unit, linked to community services, something medics have long argued for as well as a 'place of safety' for patients with acute mental health problems.

She said: "I'm a mental health nurse so I would particularly advocate for that.

"We are still working on the specifics of what that will look like but it will be located near the emergency department."

She said the new hospital would also have capacity for end-of-life care

She said: "It's a rural general, it's not a community hospital so there is a bit of differentiation but we have been clear that we would expect to have palliative care bed capacity within the hospital."

She said NHS Highland did not intend to build an accommodation block for trainee nurses and doctors at the site on the Blar Mhor.

She said: "We won't be building that sort of thing ourselves because that is not seen as a remit anymore of the NHS.

"But that being said, the intention is to work with the local housing association.

"Already in Lochaber and in Skye we already have some properties that we lease from the housing associations, so we can use these for people on call or staff who move to the area and don't have anywhere to live.

"On one side of the site they have already built houses and on the other side they are holding off building until we say what support arrangements we need.

"That may well include step-down accommodation for people who have been in hospital."

She said the number of parking spaces at the new site on An Aird, was still under discussion but there are also plans to add a new bus route.

She said a recruitment campaign would take place ahead of the building project to address the challenge of attracting medics to rural areas.

She said: "We used unusual methods when we were recruiting for the National Treatment Centre (At Raigmore hospital).

"We went with an external agency and it was really successful."

Ms Bussell said the hospital, which will be built by Balfour Beatty, will be "accessible and easy to navigate". There are no plans to change the name, although the board said local people will be asked for their views on this.

She said: "We've all been in hospitals where it's like a maze and you can't find your way around and you would be more anxious by the time you get to your appointment.

READ MORE: Highland hospital rebuild plan delayed by two years due to Scottish Government funding timeline 

"One of the things we are really keen to do in working with our contractors is making it a very accessible and easy place to use.

"We want to make it flow and feel welcoming and have as many of the services that people need locally as possible.

"We want to make sure we have a good space for people with long-term conditions so people who go for renal dialysis have a nice, welcoming space.

"From my point of view, we built a new hospital at Badenoch and Strathspey, we built a new hospital in Skye and there are some fantastic things we have done in those hospitals but also some things, looking back that maybe we would do differently."

She said there would also be similarities with the new Balfour Hospital in Kirkhall in Orkney.

"But equally we want to make it special and unique for the people of Fort William."

NHS Highland is hosting a public event at the Nevis Centre, Fort William from 1-6pm on Tuesday June 6.