Plans first mooted more than 18 years ago to rebuild a "functionally unsuitable" Highland hospital have reached a milestone moment.
NHS Highland said it was "pleased to confirm" that Balfour Beatty has started ground investigations on the proposed site for the £160million replacement Belford Hospital in Fort William in Lochaber.
Work began at the Blar Mhor site on Monday and is expected to last three weeks.
The health board said the work will determine the foundation solution for the new Belford, which is the main centre for mountain trauma in the UK's 'outdoor capital'.
Construction work is expected to begin in 2025 with an estimated completion date of 2028.
A pressure group was formed to push for the replacement hospital, led by David Sedgwick, former head surgeon, retired GP Michael Foxley and John Hutchison, formerly of Highland Council.
READ MORE: Former GP's 'dismay' as new hospital rebuild project is pushed back to 2028
Mr Sedgwick says he was told when he was appointed in 1992 that he “would be working in a new hospital within 10 years”.
The new hospital will double surgical capacity with two operating theatres, considered critical given the number of road and mountaineering accidents.
There are approximately 10,000 A&E attendances every year at the Belford with a high proportion related to outdoor activities.
There will also be a number of other services which have not previously been available locally.
The health board said there would be similarities with other hospitals built by NHS Highland in recent years in Skye and Badenoch and Strathspey but said it was important that the replacement was "unique and special" for local people.
It will have capacity to look after patients who require high-dependency care, although there will not be a dedicated unit and there will also be emergency provision for patients with acute mental health problems.
Belford was built in 1965 and is now the last of Scotland’s six rural generals to be replaced or upgraded.
Louise Bussell, NHS Highland’s Senior Responsible Officer for the Lochaber Health and Social Care Redesign, said: “This is an exciting piece of work which will help us develop plans for the replacement Belford Hospital.
“We are delighted that Balfour Beatty are making good progress with the ground investigations and have confirmed there will be no disruption to traffic in the area during this period of work.
READ MORE: Medic blames NHS Highland 'disfunction' for doctor exodus
"We will keep the local communities informed of the next steps in this process.”
NHS Highland appointed Balfour Beatty Plc as the Principal Supply Chain Partner for the Lochaber and Caithness Hospital redesign projects, which represent an investment of over £160 million in our rural general hospitals over the next five to seven years.
A report by NHS Highland found that "almost all aspects of the hospital" failed to meet modern building guidelines which has led to "significant deficiencies" in areas including infection control.
Kate Forbes, SNP MSP for Skye, Badenoch and Lochaber, acknowledged last year that the completion date "feels a long way off."
It is not the first time the Lochaber community has faced a delay for health service improvements. The current Belford opened in April 1965, almost 20 years after a report had recommended a replacement.
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