Retail therapy will mix with physiotherapy when a medical team sets up temporary home in the Highlands’ biggest shopping centre in the new year.
The musculoskeletal (MSK) physio service in Inverness will have a short-term base at the Eastgate Centre in Inverness in January.
The service has been located at the Raigmore Community Centre for the last few months but is moving out at the end of November.
It had booked the space until the end of the month, the original timescale for moving to a new purpose-built long-term centre at the New Craigs Hospital site.
New long-term base ready in the new year
However, this has been delayed so the temporary venue at Eastgate is needed before moving to New Craigs in the new year.
NHS Highland has warned patients there will be a reduced service for 18 days until it re-locates to its interim accommodation.
During this time services will be via the Near Me video platform, some out-patient services at Raigmore and group sessions in the community centre.
Patients who are referred to the service will be contacted and seen on the basis of clinical priority.
Current waiting times are 22 weeks for routine referrals and two weeks for urgent referrals.
The NHS says all patients already on the waiting list will be seen as soon as possible.
However, it has apologised for a potential increase in waiting times.
Louise Bussell, chief officer for community with NHS Highland, said: “We are pleased to confirm that the MSK physio service will have a new, permanent home in 2022.
“We have delivered the service from the Raigmore Community Centre for the last few months and we want to thank High Life Highland for allowing us to base our team there.
Moving services away from traditional settings
“We are currently undertaking building work on a permanent base for the service and anticipate this will be ready in early 2022.
“However, we will have to make temporary changes before we are able to move into our permanent location.
“The use of the Eastgate centre is an exciting opportunity to deliver healthcare services within the centre which will pilot potential benefits of moving community services away from traditional healthcare settings.”