Health board hopes work on new hospital may resume before end of year

The Gilbert Bain Hospital replacement project is hoped to get back on track by the end of the year, a meeting heard.

Health board chairman Gary Robinson said the Scottish government was carrying out a review in December when the pause on capital spending will be considered.

The project had been making good progress until the government announced a two-year spending freeze at the end of last year.

Speaking during yesterday’s annual review, Mr Robinson said the project pause was “really disappointing” for the health board.

“We have the oldest acute hospital in NHS Scotland and the challenges with maintaining that to a safe standard are visible to anyone accessing the hospital,” he said.

Mr Robinson said the review in December would “hopefully” mean the board might lean “if or when we can restart the programme”.

“I’m certainly of the view that it is still a case of when and not if we see a replacement for the Gilbert Bain Hospital,” he added.

Prior to the freeze on spending, NHS Shetland had already spent £700,000 on consultants for the new hospital, according to a Freedom of Information response.

Health minister Neil Gray addressed concerns about the freeze during his visit to Shetland earlier this year.

While he acknowledged the new hospital was “very much needed”, Mr Gray said the financial situation meant the funding was not available at the time.