NHS Tayside is developing the new treatment centre as part of a national network across Scotland. The Tayside unit will officially be known as the National Treatment Centre – Tayside (NTC-T) and will be a centre of excellence for planned surgery.

The Outline Business Case is now complete and expected to be approved by spring next year. Work has also been ongoing to determine what building and relocation work would be required to finalise the design concept for the rooms within the centre and to develop the new workforce model to deliver the services at the unit.

The project team has worked with staff and public partners through a series of virtual workshops to refine the clinical model and detail for the building design. The workshops have focused on how patients will access their treatment in the new centre and how the building’s design, location and configuration support this.

The proposals for the NTC-T include a purpose-built unit with five new theatres to complement the five existing theatres at Perth Royal Infirmary (PRI).

In addition, the centre would have two enhanced treatment rooms for ophthalmology and day procedures as well as dedicated patient rooms for all pre and post operative checks and a short stay unit for people who need a short period of care after their procedure.

If approved, the plan would be for the new unit to be built next to the current theatre suite on the PRI site. The specialist centre could offer a range of routine procedures for patients in specialities including breast surgery, general surgery, gynaecology, neurosurgery, oral maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, urology, dermatology and ear, nose and throat (ENT).

Consultant anaesthetist and clinical director for the NTC-T, Dr Michael Forster, said: “This proposed new centre is fantastic news for the patients of Tayside and all the staff who work so hard in Perth Royal Infirmary.

“A huge amount of planning has been going on behind the scenes to ensure that the NTC-T will fully deliver for our patients. In the next exciting phase, following approval of the Outline Business Case, staff and the public will begin to see changes on the ground at PRI as we get ready to start building the NTC-T.”