NHS Lanarkshire has unveiled plans for what it says will be Scotland’s first digital hospital.
It said the new University Hospital Monklands, to be built at a site still to be decided, will be designed to take advantage of digital technology with an operational command centre and an emphasis on using real time information.
The plan is part of the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP), which will be constructed at either Gartcosh, Glenmavis or Wester Moffat. A decision on which one is expected during the spring.
The hospital will be built to a reference design, prepared as part of a business case and used by potential contractors, which will be subject to feedback from the Scottish Government, the public and other stakeholders before it goes ahead.
Ambition
NHS Lanarkshire’s chief of nursing services Karen Goudie said: “Our ambition for the new Monklands to be Scotland’s first digital hospital will greatly benefit patients, visitors and staff.
“There will also be an operational command centre at the heart of the development, providing the most modern of healthcare with real time information to make staff instantly aware of patients whose condition is deteriorating, helping to maximise patient safety and patient flow, and to address any capacity issues in the safest way possible.
“The centre will even monitor online feedback from patients’ families to help improve care.”
MRP clinical lead Dr Jim Ruddy said the new hospital will be “built with digital technology at its core” to free up clinicians’ time to look after patients more closely.
Image: Design of new Monklands Hospital from NHS Lanarkshire
