The Scottish Government has ordered a comprehensive redesign of the planned replacement for University Hospital Monklands after concluding that the current £2.1bn scheme is too expensive to approve in its current form.
Health secretary Angela Constance has refused to approve the project's full business case, announcing a 'formal reset' while reaffirming the government's commitment to delivering a new hospital at the Wester Moffat site near Airdrie.
The replacement hospital, designed by Keppie Design for NHS Lanarkshire, received planning permission earlier this year and was intended to replace the existing Monklands Hospital. However, ministers said the projected cost of around £2.1bn represented poor value for money compared with similar healthcare developments.
Constance said the scheme would cost around £5 million per bed and would represent 'an unprecedented concentration of capital investment in a single health project'.
She said: 'While I remain fully committed to replacing University Hospital Monklands, I cannot approve the project in its current form. We have a duty to ensure major capital investment is affordable, delivers value for money and supports the future delivery of health and social care.'
The Scottish Government said it will now work with NHS Lanarkshire and regional partners to develop revised proposals, with a redesigned business case expected to be submitted during 2027.
Despite the reset, ministers said the new hospital will continue to be built on the Wester Moffat site and is expected to retain core acute services, including an accident and emergency department.
In the meantime, targeted investment will be made to maintain the existing Monklands Hospital and address infrastructure issues while work on the revised scheme progresses.
The decision is expected to delay the delivery of what was due to become one of Scotland's largest healthcare infrastructure projects. Enabling works had already begun following the appointment of Laing O'Rourke as the project's construction partner.
The announcement has attracted criticism from opposition politicians and local leaders, who argue that the decision will prolong the use of the ageing existing hospital and increase costs. North Lanarkshire Council has also indicated it is considering legal action over the decision.
The Scottish Government said the redesign would ensure the replacement hospital remains deliverable while meeting the long-term healthcare needs of Lanarkshire.
