Three bidders have been invited to enter the final stages of securing a contract to build a new hospital in Dumfries.

According to the BBC, five firms had expressed an interest in the project, and now, Balfour Beatty, High Wood Health (Laing O'Rourke) and Skanska have been selected as the final three.

Jeff Ace, Chief Executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway described it as another "key stage" for the project.

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Work on the 350-bed complex is scheduled to begin in 2015, with a cost of £200m.

The facility will be located at the western end of the Dumfries bypass, and will ultimately replace the current site on Bankend Road.

Mr Ace said: "The calibre of companies that have engaged with us at the bidding stage demonstrates the scale of this development.

"I've been extremely impressed with the quality of submissions and our project team will now face an extremely difficult task in selecting our eventual partner in the delivery of Scotland's latest and best acute hospital."

(JP/CD)