Health chiefs have identified Inverness Campus as the “ideal location” for a new £16million hospital to serve the Highlands and islands.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced last month that the Highland capital would host one of six new “elective treatment centres” being built across Scotland at a total cost of £60million.
New details about the plans have now been published in advance of an NHS Highland board meeting next week.
Board members will be told that it is estimated that by 2031 the number of people aged 75 or over in Highlands will double.
It means that the “pressure areas” in the region’s health service over the next 10-15 years have been identified as hip and knee replacements, and cataracts.
To meet the demand, the new hospital will accommodate services for both orthopaedics and opthalmology and will serve the Highlands, Western Isles and west Grampian.
It will have 30 beds, three theatres, as well as day care and out-patient facilities.
The orthopaedic facility will provide capacity for 1,800 procedures a year, while the ophthalmology day case facility will provide capacity for 4,200 cataract cases a year and serve 45,000 out-patients.
The health board will hear on Tuesday that the new Inverness Campus at Beechwood has been earmarked as the preferred site for the unit.
The campus area already includes the new £50million Inverness College UHI complex, which was officially opened by the Princess Royal this month.
In a report to next week’s meeting, board members have been told: “It was clear that the location for any new facility was not possible on the Raigmore site but for safety and indeed efficiency reasons, a site close to the hospital was desired.
“The Inverness Campus, adjacent to the A9 and in close proximity to Raigmore, provides an ideal location.”
The site earmarked for the centre is “plot five”, by the Golden Bridge, and officials hope the centre can be opened by 2021.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said last night: “Our investment of £200million to create six new elective centres will build on the work carried out at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.
“The centres will allow people to be treated more quickly for planned surgery and the facilities will help the NHS meet increasing demand from a growing elderly population, taking pressure off unplanned and emergency treatment.”