News / New Scalloway health centre
SCALLOWAY is to get a brand new health centre after the local authority agreed to lease the village’s old primary school to NHS Shetland.
Shetland Islands Council has invited building contractors to tender to convert the building, which it is hoped will be open for patients by autumn next year.
Primary school pupils will move to the neighbouring junior high school, which closed two years ago as part of the council’s budget cutting exercise.
The health board has been looking for a replacement for its existing health centre for many years, having found it hard to find a suitable site in the compact village.
NHS Shetland chief executive Ralph Robert said: “Sites in Scalloway has been one of the issues so I am really pleased we have been able to come up with one.
“This will improve both the patient facilities and the working experience for staff and allow the GP practice to plan for the future.”
SIC chief executive Mark Boden added that converting an existing public building was “excellent value for money”.
He said: “This is a very good example of partnership working between public bodies to improve service provision, and one which I hope can be replicated in other areas of service in the future.
“The older school is the ideal size for a health centre, so it made really good sense.”
The move is part of the close working relationship between the two authorities.
Staff at the existing health centre have been involved in the design of the building and Shetland Recreational Trust has been closely involved in new plans for access and parking, which affect the neighbouring swimming pool.
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