New footage has been released of a £15 million hospital being built on Skye, after it was officially named.
The new facility, which will have 24 inpatient beds and an emergency department, will be called Broadford Hospital: Ospadal An Àth Leathainn.
NHS Highland health board members have now agreed the name for the new site and described the naming as a “significant milestone”.
Chief executive Pam Dudek said: “It’s a really important milestone for the local community.
“Having visited the site, and the hospital almost at completion, the rooms people will be recovering in, or having active treatment in, have a wonderful view across the bay and of Broadford so it does seem like a very natural alliance.
“It is some facility – I was hugely impressed – I think this is a really important day.
“It is a really significant milestone.”
The board meeting heard the public were given three weeks to come up with a new name for the hospital.
They were asked to send in their suggestions by post, email or on Facebook by June 11.
A panel of local representatives was then selected to consider the 57 names put forward for the site.
And they agreed with the views of the community that the facility would inevitably be called Broadford Hospital because of its location.
The new name has now been officially approved at the NHS Highland board meeting.
The view is that the hospital will probably be open in the new year”
Deborah Jones
Other options considered were the names of former clinical staff who had made an outstanding contribution to healthcare in the area.
There were too many to choose from, but they may be used as the names of hospital rooms or a special commemoration display which could be set up inside the building instead.
The five other names which came close to being chosen were: Cuillins Hospital, Broadford Bay Hospital, Ospadal an Eilean, Skye Community Hospital and Dr John Ball Memorial Hospital.
Deborah Jones, director of strategic commissioning, planning and performance, told the board that construction works were expected to be completed on the site by October 22.
But it is unlikely to be open to the public until next year, to allow for the handover and inspections to be carried out.
She said: “The view is that the hospital will probably be open in the new year.
“If we can bring that date forward we will, but we would rather be conservative at this stage and exceed expectations.”
The hospital building will have outpatient services, an infusion and renal dialysis suite, an imaging department and a community maternity unit when it opens.
Work started on the site, which is between the current Dr Mackinnon Memorial Hospital and Broadford Health Centre, in August 2019.
Skye councillor John Finlayson was on the selection panel and said it was the ideal name for the new facility.
He said: “Broadford Hospital was way by far the most popular name that was given.
“Its simplicity makes it important for access, particularly for those who might come to Skye and find themselves involved in some sort of accident, or get lost in the hills.
“If it’s just Broadford, they will know exactly where they need to go. It will mean there’s no confusion.”
Councillor Calum MacLeod said: “It’s great news.
“We’re really delighted it has got to this point where we are celebrating a new era for the Broadford hospital.”
And councillor John Gordon said: “It’s just common sense to name it after the village it is in, thankfully this has happened, locally most people are in favour of simply Broadford Hospital.”
The new hospital will replace the existing hospital in Broadford.
It is part of a £40 million development for NHS Highland, which also includes building a new community hospital in Aviemore.