The site for a new hospital as been approved today, in a "significant milestone" in the project.

The Board of NHS Lanarkshire met today and confirmed the recommendation of Wester Moffat as the preferred site option for the new University Hospital Monklands.

The Board’s recommendation will now be put forward to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Jeane Freeman MSP, who will make a final decision.

Three site options for the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) were considered at the Board meeting, including Gartcosh, Glenmavis, and Wester Moffat - but health officials say public feedback proved invaluable in selecting the site.

Neena Mahal, Chair of the Board of NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The Board’s recommendation that Wester Moffat is the preferred site for the new, state-of-the-art University Hospital Monklands marks a significant milestone in our exciting project to create a world-class hospital to serve the communities of Lanarkshire over the coming decades.

“I would like to thank the public and our staff for their extensive participation during the engagement process on the Monklands Replacement Project.

“The feedback we received on the three site options proved invaluable in helping Board members to give thorough consideration to the issues of key interest to members of the community, such as travel and transport, site contamination, cross-boundary flow of patients and the socio-economic impact of relocating the hospital.

“I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the Monklands Replacement Project team, who provided the Board with the comprehensive information which formed the basis of our deliberations.

“The Board’s recommendation, which is not a final decision, will now be considered by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport.”

The decision was welcomed by Airdrie and Shotts MSP Alex Neil and MP Neil Gray welcomed the decision by  NHS Lanarkshire, calling it "the best Christmas present [they] could have had."

The called the Wester Moffat site "ideal" and said it will provide "easy access" for patients.

Mr Neil said: “NHS Lanarkshire’s decision to recommend to the Scottish Government that the new Monklands Hospital be built in Airdrie is the right decision. It is the best Christmas present we could have had. I thank the Health Board for making the right call on behalf of the people of the Monklands.

“The original proposal to build the new hospital at Gartcosh would have been the wrong decision. I am delighted that common sense has prevailed.

“Neil and I have had to fight a long, hard battle, working with thousands of campaigners from all over the Monklands and beyond to ensure that the new hospital will be located in the Monklands area.

“Today that campaign has paid off in spades for the local people. This is their victory and they should be proud of themselves. The people of the Monklands can sleep easier tonight.

“I hope the Scottish Government will now quickly accept the Health Board’s recommendation of Wester Moffat in Airdrie as the location for the new hospital and that construction can start soon.

“This new hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility and will be a magnet for first class healthcare. Along with the new Airdrie by-pass, the new hospital ensures that the Monklands area is back in business.

“As I will be standing down as the local MSP in May 2021, I am proud that these two massive investments have been secured for the people of Airdrie.”

Mr Gray added: "I am absolutely delighted at this decision from NHS Lanarkshire, it is brilliant news for my constituents and people across Monklands. Gartcosh would have been terrible for my constituents and that is why Alex and I have worked so hard with local people to secure the Scottish Government review. It was that review that brought Wester Moffat forward as an option. 

"It is a huge relief that after years of working hard on this issue that we have such a great result. I pay tribute to everyone who supported the petition from Alex and I, who contacted NHS Lanarkshire directly to express their views and took part in the consultation and scoring events. We have asked a lot of local people in this campaign, but it has paid off so thank you so much.

"The people of Monklands deserve a new hospital and they deserve it where it is accessible for them, that is why Wester Moffat is the right choice. It works for the patients who need and use the hospital most and it works for the majority of staff who work there and live locally."

The new hospital is set to open in 2026/7.