Migdale Hospital at Bonar Bridge in Sutherland was built at a cost of more than £8 million to replace the former hospital in the village, which was almost 150 years old.Staff and patients moved into the new building on Jule 30th 2011, which is located in the centre of the village, close to the GP surgery and a day centre for older people.
The new 22-bed facility means NHS Highland can now provide patients with the best possible environment in which to receive the care and treatment they need.
Services provided at Migdale Hospital include an assessment unit for older people with mental health needs and GP-led beds, offering a range of in-patient services, including palliative care, general medicine and less intensive rehabilitation services. The aim of these units is to assess and treat patients and, wherever possible, enable them to return home as quickly as possible.
The wards have been named Kylesku and Strathy after local villages and all the bedrooms are single occupancy, with en-suite facilities. The internal layout has been designed so that two of the rooms can be used by either unit to provide flexibility.
The new facility also continues the physiotherapy and occupational therapy services for both inpatients and outpatients that were previously provided at the old building, which was also called Migdale Hospital. A replacement was needed because the old hospital, did not comply with Disability Discrimination Act requirements and there were health and safety issues associated with the layout and physical constraints of the building when caring for patients.
The new hospital has been welcomed by the local community and NHS Highland has received many positive comments about the facilities it provides.
