The Scottish Government has said more then 89,000 people are to benefit from a £51m investment for three new health centres.

Construction work on the centres, all located in Lanarkshire, will start in early 2014.

The ambitious project will see the new facilities in Wishaw, East Kilbride and Kilsyth.

Hub South West Scotland Limited will be responsible for delivering the new centres which will be built by main contractor Graham Construction.

The Lanarkshire facilities are part a pipeline of projects worth £250m which will deliver health centres and community hospitals across Scotland over the next three years. Work is expected to take around 19 months with an estimated completion date of summer 2015.

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Commenting on the investment, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is important that people across Scotland have access to the best health facilities. That is why we are investing hundreds of millions in infrastructure to ensure both staff and patients can work and be treated in the best possible surroundings.

"The construction project will provide a boost for the local economy, creating new jobs and apprenticeships, and will ultimately result in three new purpose-built, modern health facilities, benefiting patients across Lanarkshire.

"This project is being delivered by the Scottish Government in partnership with hub South West Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire Council, who have each provided significant funding towards the project."

Ian Ross, Chief Executive, NHS Lanarkshire, added: "These three health centres build upon the substantial investment we have made in recent years in new local primary care and community services in Lanarkshire. Their development will mean we will complete the second phase of our primary care capital invest programme ahead of schedule."

(JP/IT)