Falkirk health: Plans unveiled for Community Hospital site

Members of Falkirk’s Integrated Joint Board – which oversees local health and social care services – will be presented with the latest in the journey towards developing the site when they meet this Friday.

The hope is that it will give the district modern, fit for purpose facilities that will be used to improve health and wellbeing across the district.

A report to the board will provide an outline of the next steps and hear how a series of workshops and consultation with stakeholders are beginning to shape what services will look like.

If the board endorses the Strategic Assessment, the report will then go to the Scottish Government for approval.

The work at the community hospital site will tie in with changes to local services through the Primary Care Programme, which will see GPs surgeries expanding to cope with a rising and ageing population in Falkirk.

The plans suggest that a Livingwell hub will be central to the new services. Potentially, this could have a community cafe run as a social enterprise to address social isolation and provide a gateway to other support.

Other proposed services will be phlebotomy and volunteer and carer support, to help connect people with support in their own community.

The new facilities will also be an opportunity to introduce innovative digital technologies to monitor things such as blood pressure and weight.

The vision for the site, close to Falkirk town centre, is to also have drop-in spaces to receive health improvement advice and support such as smoking cessation, or holistic wellbeing activities delivered by third sector organisations.

Falkirk Community Hospital – formerly the district’s royal infirmary – currently hosts a range of clinical services, including outpatient clinics for a range of specialities, and eye surgery.

A significant programme of investment is proposed over the next six years, although this will be dependent on the availability of capital funding from the Scottish Government.

The indicative timetable suggests that the initial agreement could be signed in September this year with the aim of having services up and running by 2028.