NHS Lanarkshire has outlined plans for further staff and public engagement over potential alternative sites for a new, state-of-the-art University Hospital Monklands.

This will give the community the opportunity to provide feedback on a small number of shortlisted viable new sites for the hospital, before a site re-evaluation process which will be undertaken by a representative group of members of the public and staff.

Following a public site nominations process, which ended on 13 December, the sites shortlist is now being finalised and will include:
• any public nominations that meet all the five site selection criteria;
• any sites from a recent site search by North Lanarkshire Council that meet all the criteria;
• the two viable sites previously identified – Gartcosh and Glenmavis.

Monklands Replacement Project director Graeme Reid said: “We’d like to thank the community for all their nominations. There were nearly 200 responses submitted formally online and by email or post. There was also significant discussion on the topic on our social media channels.

“Along with the shortlisted sites, we will publish all the public nominations and the potential sites identified by the council’s recent search, including the reasons each of them did or did not meet all the criteria.

“We will then seek the input of the public and our staff as we prepare for the scoring event, which we plan to hold in March. This will be a formal, objective assessment based on an agreed set of benefits criteria.

“The majority of scoring event participants will be members of the public.”

To ensure fully informed public input, NHS Lanarkshire will publish detailed information on each of the shortlisted sites, covering issues such as site history, site conditions, transport and travel information, site remediation costs, road infrastructure costs and construction costs.

The public will then have the opportunity to:

1. Suggest relevant benefits criteria for the scoring event. For example, accessibility by road or public transport, drive times, ground conditions and public transport infrastructure.

2. Be a participant in the scoring event. Details of how participants will be selected will be made available early in the New Year.

3. Use NHS Lanarkshire’s open channel of communication, which will include options to seek clarification, by email or phone, on any aspect of the process or any of the detailed information provided about the shortlisted sites.

4. Take part in “People’s Hearings” – structured events where a panel will hear representations from members of the public or organised groups, who wish to put forward any concerns they have about the accuracy or legitimacy of any information issued by NHS Lanarkshire regarding the shortlisted sites. Details of how to participate in the People’s Hearings will be made available early in the New Year.

Following the outcome of the scoring event, there will be an opportunity for further public feedback, which will be collated and issued along with a recommendation for a preferred site location to the NHS Lanarkshire Board in Spring 2020.

Graeme added: “Our commitment to open and transparent public engagement will help us move forward with the MRP as we address the urgent need to provide a new University Hospital Monklands for the communities of Lanarkshire.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This extensive programme of further engagement follows the findings of the Independent Review of the process followed by the Monklands Replacement/Refurbishment Project, published in June, which recommended a re-evaluation of the Gartcosh and Glenmavis options, which should “explicitly and transparently take account of the views of the public, obtained following an inclusive process and in line with appropriate recognised approaches.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman subsequently asked NHS Lanarkshire to identify any other potential sites for the hospital to be included in the re-evaluation process, while concluding that the existing hospital site should not be an option for the new Monklands because “building a new hospital on an existing hospital site takes longer, costs more, risks infection and other patient safety issues, while creating performance and access issues during the long construction phase.”

Graeme explained: “To ensure we meet the review’s requirement for transparency and inclusive community involvement, the process has been designed with the independent advice of the Consultation Institute, who are international experts in public engagement.”

He added: “Along with the requirement for site re-evaluation, the independent review also recommended that we establish enhanced governance arrangements for the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP).

“We have now formed the Monklands Replacement Oversight Board, a governance committee of the NHS Lanarkshire Board. It comprises non-executive directors of the NHS Lanarkshire Board, independent members and public representatives, to provide oversight and assurance and make recommendations to the NHS Board in line with its remit to provide the required degree of assurance on the progression of the MRP.

“The independent review’s final recommendation was that we clarify plans for the existing hospital site.

“Our vision for the existing hospital site involves an exciting proposal to create a health and wellbeing village, meaning the local community will benefit from enhanced community-based healthcare in addition to the development of a new University Hospital Monklands.

“We have agreed to start planning for this development in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council and the University of Strathclyde. The project will maximise community engagement and use a ‘Place-Based Approach’ – which involves thinking about physical elements such as buildings, spaces and transport links, along with social aspects – to provide facilities to improve the health and wellbeing of local people, reducing their health inequalities and providing the opportunity for economic regeneration in the area.”

Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) site selection criteria:
• Must sit within University Hospital Monklands unscheduled care catchment area;
• Must be a minimum of 40 developable acres;
• Site must have no detrimental impact on adjoining unscheduled catchment areas of hospitals in Lanarkshire, Glasgow or Forth Valley;
• Site must be designated to permit appropriate development;
• Site must have sufficient road and transport infrastructure to support the development of a major hospital site.

See www.monklands.scot.nhs.uk for more information on the MRP, including full details of the Independent Review of the process followed by the Monklands Replacement/Refurbishment Project.