Leuchars Station's new medical centre reaches milestone
Image courtesy DIO
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which is managing the build on behalf of the British Army, contracted the £22 million new facility to Graham Building North who began construction in October.
The new building will replace the ageing current medical and dental centre, which was built in 1936. At present, around 3,700 personnel at the British Army establishment and their dependents will benefit from the new building, which will house physical rehabilitation and mental health facilities as well as GP and dental services. However, Leuchars Station is to become the Army’s hub in Scotland and the new building has been designed to cater for increases in personnel due to this change.
The building has been carefully designed to be as sustainable as possible, including through thermal efficiency, solar panels, air source heat pumps and provision of four electric vehicle charging stations. Building materials have been selected not only on the basis of suitability but also to reduce carbon impact on the environment. It is hoped that the building can be an example of sustainability in construction of future MoD medical and dental centres.
Shaun Purdy, DIO’s Project Manager, said: “Reaching this milestone, with completion of the structure, means it’s easy for both the medical staff and other personnel at Leuchars to see the scale of this new facility and how well-suited it will be for their needs. Our focus now moves to the interior of the building as we look forward to the completion of the building in the coming months.”
Lt Col Christopher Stewart, Senior Medical Officer, said: “The East of Scotland Medical Practice team is thrilled to see the new medical and dental centre taking shape at speed. This state-of-the-art facility will provide us considerably more clinical space and allow us to deliver a greater number of services simultaneously, whilst supporting our outputs as a training practice.
“Our mission is to deliver an exceptional level of care to the service personnel and families we serve and this new facility will help us to achieve this.”
Commander Defence Primary Healthcare, Surgeon Commodore (RN) Andy Nelstrop said: “Seeing this facility take shape at such speed is remarkable. Providing expert healthcare to Armed Forces Personnel is a priority within the Defence Medical Services and this facility will provide a modern environment for both Defence Primary Healthcare staff and patients based at Leuchars; improving access to services, making the patient and staff experience better and enabling the best clinical outcomes.
“This brand new, purpose built building, highlights the value and importance that we place on protecting the health of our Armed Forces and ensuring they are fit to fight. It builds on the successes of previous work to make it easier for personnel to see the right medical professional as quickly as possible.”
Chris MacLeod, Graham Building North’s Regional Director, said: “Our team have been working diligently to deliver this medical and dental facility for our longstanding client, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. With the frame completed, we can now visualise this sustainable, state of the art building and the services it will provide for the military personnel and their families at Leuchars and in the wider region.”
With the structure built to its full height, attention now turns to interior works. Once the replacement facility is complete, medical personnel and patients will transition over to the new medical and dental centre and Graham will demolish the old building.
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