The £163.7 million Baird and ANCHOR Project is the largest project to be procured through the Health Facilities Scotland Framework to date. The new facilities will be delivered by GRAHAM Construction Ltd and are scheduled for completion in 2021.

The ANCHOR Centre will bring all Haematology, Oncology and Radiotherapy Day and Outpatient services under one roof. There will also be a dedicated lounge for teenage and young adult patients, an Aseptic Pharmacy for the production of chemotherapy treatments and dedicated teaching and research facilities.

The Baird Family Hospital will provide accommodation for all Maternity, Neonatal, Reproductive Medicine, Breast and Gynaecology services. It will also house a Patient Hotel and dedicated teaching and research facilities.

The ceremonies were hosted by the chairman of NHS Grampian, Professor Stephen Logan with Lord Provost of Aberdeen also in attendance.

Professor Logan said: “This is an exciting day for NHS Grampian and marks a key milestone in the development of these two superb health facilities for the benefit of the people of the North of Scotland.

“These turf cutting events acknowledge the culmination of four years of detailed consultation and design involving hundreds of staff, patients and Third Sector groups working with the design team and GRAHAM Construction partners to prepare for the commencement of the construction phase. The current preparatory works precede the start of the main construction works in the summer of 2019, following approval of the Full Business Case.”