Work on new £33m Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre starts

Work has started on the construction of the new Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

The £33 million project is expected to take 18 months to be completed.

It will have three operating theatres, a supporting inpatient ward and associated outpatient facilities.

Planning permission was given for the new centre earlier this year.

The new centre will be located opposite the entrance to Accident and Emergency.

It will make sure that NHS Fife's orthopaedic services are able meet rising demand for orthopaedic interventions, like hip or knee replacements.

Such interventions now amongst the most common surgical procedures undertaken by NHS Scotland.

Jeane Freeman MSP, the Scottish Government's Health Secretary, said: "I’m pleased to see work commencing on this £33m facility to modernise and expand elective orthopaedic services in NHS Fife.

"The Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre will provide safe, modern and improved patient services for the people of Fife and it is a key part of the Scottish Government’s elective care programme to provide additional capacity in our NHS.

"Elective care centres like this will be particularly important as we remobilise NHS services in the wake of the pandemic.

"I’m grateful to all those involved for their work so far, and I look forward to seeing this project progress."

Rt Hon Tricia Marwick, Chair of NHS Fife, said: "I am delighted to see formal approval granted for the new Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre, which will be the most significant capital project undertaken in Fife for almost a decade.

"We are fortunate here in Fife to have perhaps the most innovative and person-centred team of orthopaedic clinicians in the country.

"The development of the new Orthopaedic Centre will help us make the most of the considerable clinical expertise we have available and ensure that we can meet the increasing demand for this vital service, whilst also cementing NHS Fife’s position at the heart of orthopaedic excellence in Scotland.

"The development of this specialist facility has long been a key priority the Board and will ensure that people in Fife have access to highest quality orthopaedic care and treatment available anywhere."

Andy Ballantyne, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Clinical Lead for the Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre, said: "It has been an exciting journey seeing this project develop and it is fantastic to see construction on the Fife Elective Orthopaedic Centre beginning.

"Getting to this stage is the result of five years of work and commitment by wider project team, and staff have contributed enthusiastically in helping drive this project forward.

"We can look forward to an exciting future with a modern purpose-built facility from which to deliver planned orthopaedic services to the people of Fife."