The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide £109 m in funding for the construction of a new District and General Hospital in Dumfries.
The 26-year loan from the long-term lending institution represents around half the project cost, with the new hospital Scotland’s second to be supported by the EIB this year, following confirmation of £83 million in support for Edinburgh’s new Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh in February.
Jonathan Taylor, EIB vice-president, said: “The European Investment Bank recognises that investment in new hospitals is essential to reflect Europe’s ageing population and ensure the highest quality medical care. Patients using these two new Scottish hospitals will benefit for years to come, hospital staff will use the latest techniques, and local smaller companies will play a key role during construction.”
Once complete in 2018 the new Dumfries hospital will serve 150,000 people in south-western Scotland. The project promoter is the NHS Dumfries and Galloway Health Board, with the scheme being implemented under the Scottish Government’s non-profit distribution model.
Dennis O’Keeffe, NHS Dumfries and Galloway project director, said: “The hospital incorporates an ambitious, innovative high quality design that is energy-efficient, sustainable, and adaptable, and will enable the delivery of the Board’s new model of care. The deal will also bring with it numerous community benefits, including 150 new jobs, 36 modern apprenticeships, and a range of opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses."
Redevelopment of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh will bring together paediatric, specialist neonatal, adult and children’s emergency care, and neurology on one site once the new six-storey hospital is completed next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2017.
