The £35 million development, which is being built in the grounds of Stirling Community Hospital, is a joint venture between Stirling Council, NHS Forth Valley and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Forth Valley College is also keen to explore opportunities to offer local young people, who are considering a career in the health and care sector, a range of training and volunteering opportunities within the new Care Village.

hub East Central Scotland is managing the project and Robertson Construction is the main contractor. The majority of facilities are expected to be completed by autumn 2018 with the ambulance station and final site works completed by autumn 2019.

The Care Village will support the integration of local health and social care services, making it easier for staff to work together to deliver better co-ordinated, more joined up care to local people – a key aim of the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership.

This will be achieved by bringing wide range of health and social services together in two new purpose-built facilities – a Care Hub and a Primary and Urgent Care Centre. The Scottish Ambulance Service also plans to move their existing ambulance station in the Riverside area of Stirling to a new station and workshop on the Stirling Community Hospital site.

More than 100 beds will be created in the new Care Hub to provide short-term care, assessment or rehabilitation to older people who require additional support following an illness or operation. These services will be provided in a comfortable, homely environment to help older people recover, regain their independence and, in the majority of cases, return to their own homes. The Care Hub will also provide support for patients with dementia and those who need palliative or end of life care.

The new Primary and Urgent Care Centre will provide more modern, spacious accommodation for a number of existing health services include Minor Injuries, X-ray facilities and GP out-of-hours services. It will also house a number of local GP practices which will re-locate to purpose-built premises within the new Centre.

Alex Linkston, chairman of NHS Forth Valley, said: “I am delighted that construction work is now underway. A great deal of work has already been carried out by all the partners to reach this important milestone and it is very exciting that local staff and patients will soon have access to these fantastic new facilities.”