Robertson Construction has started work on a new £35 million care village development in Stirling.

The facility is being built in the grounds of Stirling Community Hospital.

The project, which is being managed by hub East Central Scotland, is a joint venture (JV) between the council, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Ambulance Service. It will support the integration of local health and social care services, making it easier for staff to work together on delivering better care for local people.

The majority of facilities are expected to be completed by autumn 2018, with the ambulance station and final site works completed by autumn 2019.

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Features include over 100 beds in the new Care Hub to provide short-term care, assessment or rehabilitation to older people, or patients with dementia and those who need palliative or end of life care.

In addition, a new Primary and Urgent Care Centre will provide modern accommodation for a number of existing health services including Minor Injuries, X-ray facilities and GP out-of-hours services. A number of local GP practices will also be housed in purpose-built premises in the new Centre.

David Garbutt, Chair of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "The new station will ensure that our ambulance teams have a modern, fit for purpose work environment with facilities which support the continued delivery of the highest standards of patient care. It will also incorporate modern facilities which meet the required NHS standards for infection control and support the ongoing professional development of our staff's clinical skills."

Alex Linkston, Chairman of NHS Forth Valley, added: "I am delighted that construction work is now underway. A great deal of work has already been carried out by all the partners to reach this important milestone and it is very exciting that local staff and patients will soon have access to these fantastic new facilities."

(LM)