 The Larbert hospital will be the base for acute services |
Scotland's biggest public private partnership (PPP) hospital contract, near Falkirk, has been approved by the local health board. The �300m hospital for Larbert would replace Falkirk and Stirling Royal Infirmaries, but healthcare union Unison has raised concerns.
NHS Forth Valley also approved a �20m PPP community hospital to replace Alloa Health Centre in Clackmannanshire.
The health board said the investment would provide the best in modern care.
The move will bring the area's acute services together at the new Larbert hospital and NHS Forth Valley said the PFI route provided better value for money than using public funding.
Quick delivery
The health authority said the project had received "strong support" from clinical staff, but Unison described it as "privatisation by another name".
Health board chairman Ian Mullen said: "The board considered the full business cases very carefully and in approving them we are committing to providing the best modern health services for the people of Forth Valley.
"As well as providing better value for money, the board felt that this method of procurement would deliver the new hospitals in the shortest possible timescale."
The Scottish Executive will now be asked to approve the two deals.
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