Scotland’s health secretary was given a virtual reality ‘immersive experience’ of what will become the country’s most advanced new hospital.
Clinicians and officials guided Neil Gray round a specially-constructed digital suite – where he saw visualisations of the planned University Hospital Monklands, which is set to open in Wester Moffat, Airdrie, in 2031.
The suite has a 900-square-foot lecture theatre where sections of the hospital can be projected on three walls to give the audience an immersive experience and let them see departments and rooms at life size or on a grand scale.
This includes areas such as a patient bedroom, an operating theatre, a consultation room and the emergency department waiting area.
There’s also a control room – an area of big screens that mirrors the ‘command centre’ that will be in the new hospital, providing real-time monitoring of key factors such as emergency department activity and ward occupancy rates.
The suite, constructed by main contractor Laing O’Rourke, will support engagement during design development and hospital construction and occupation. It will also provide a venue for elements of the project’s vital Community Benefits programme, which focuses on job creation, apprenticeships, learning opportunities, support for businesses large and small, and environmental enhancements.
Mr Gray, the local MSP, opened the facility last Friday and was joined by Martin Hill, chair of the board of NHS Lanarkshire, and Colin Lauder, NHS Lanarkshire interim chief executive.
He was also joined by John O’Connor, group commercial director at Laing O’Rourke, clinicians and managers from University Hospital Monklands and community members, including school students, who have engaged with the project.
Mr Gray said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to see the continued progress of the new University Hospital Monklands – it’s something I’ve been working on with NHS Lanarkshire for the 10 years I’ve represented Airdrie and Shotts.
“The suite is a great opportunity for the NHS staff and the Lanarkshire public to visualise what is to come in this project, which is incredibly important for the local community and for Scotland.
“The eyes of the nation are on the MRP [Monklands Replacement Project] as it works to deliver a state-of-the-art hospital, which will be environmentally friendly and future-proofed through its design and the digital technology it will use.
“As well as the healthcare benefits, the economic opportunity of such a large project coming to this area – and the ‘wealth building’ principle of the MRP’s approach – are vital. There is huge economic investment coming in this area and the new Monklands is central to that.”
Martin Hill, chair of the Board of NHS Lanarkshire, said: “It’s marvellous to see the immersive suite in action and witness the fantastic visuals it can display, which will be enormously helpful for our staff and the community to learn about the proposed design and layout of our new net zero hospital.
“The use of digital technology to benefit patients and staff is at the forefront of our plans for the new Monklands, so it’s fitting that we have such a hi-tech facility at the heart of our engagement processes.”