An extra operating theatre could be on the cards at the Highland’s flagship hospital under plans for sweeping changes of care for the most seriously ill patients.
NHS Highland wants to improve and refurbish critical care facilities at Raigmore Hospital as part of ongoing upgrades to the 30-year-old building.
The £26million plans involve reorganising wards in the prominent tower block, with the aim of ensuring that the high dependency unit gains isolation rooms for critically ill patients.
It is also proposed that a 10th operating theatre will be created as part of the reconfiguration.
But one of the options, ruled out is the creation of a barn theatre, which would have involved three or four operating tables in one large open space.
NHS Highland also hope to resolve ongoing issues with fire compartments in areas used for patients.
An outline business case for the new theatre and a range of other changes to the layout of the hospital will be discussed at the NHS Highland board meeting on Tuesday.
If approved, the document will be sent to the Scottish Government, which the board hopes will provide £26million of funding for the plans.
It is hoped that the project could start as early as May next year, with completion of the whole plan two years later in 2017.
Linda Kirkland, the interim director of operations at Raigmore, said that the proposals would improve the hospital environment.
However she admitted there would be a “significant initial capital cost”.
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “The theory is that the sickest patients are together and closest to the operating theatre.
“By having all elevated care beds together we will be more efficient. We can then modernise them together which is also more efficient. At the end of this we will have a better flow of patients through the hospital.”