Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2026 [Draft]
As one of the two Monklands MSPs, I cannot stand here and say that I am happy with today’s announcement. As the health secretary will be aware, Monklands hospital urgently needs to be replaced. Various concerns have been raised about the ageing infrastructure, water contamination and asbestos. The people of Monklands and wider Lanarkshire have been promised a new hospital for some time, and the road that has led us to where we are today has long been documented. Therefore, I do not fully understand how we have arrived at this point.
NHS Lanarkshire has been developing its plans for a long time. It has kept MSPs and all stakeholders—including, I presume, the Scottish Government—up to date. Its plans have been public and have included visits from MSPs and MPs. At what point did the Scottish Government deem that the cost outlined in the business case was too high? What discussions did it have with NHS Lanarkshire to try to resolve issues earlier? In addition, although I acknowledge and welcome the fact that the Government remains committed to a new hospital, how will it work with NHS Lanarkshire to deliver that hospital speedily and ensure that there is in no way a downgrading of services?