Scottish NHS to receive £201m for e-health

Health boards across Scotland are to receive £201m to spend in areas such as e-health, primary care and primary and community care premises in the next financial year, the Scottish government has announced.

The funds are part of a share of £525m worth of capital funding for the upgrade of equipment, IT systems, and facilities improvements.

The remaining £324m will be spent building new fit-for-purpose facilities and on improvements to existing facilities.

Cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, said: “The record funding I am announcing will enable NHS boards across Scotland to continue building programmes to ensure that we have a health service infrastructure that is fit for the 21st century.

“These developments will bring real benefits to patients and staff and ensure that first-class treatment can be delivered in a state-of-the-art environment.”

Overall capital resource for the upgrades and improvements is expected to increase to £553m and £598m respectively over the following two years and the total investment over the three-year period is £1.6 billion, the government says.

Among the projects to benefit are two in NHS Highland - a new 24-bed community hospital at Bonar Bridge in Sutherland and a new day surgery centre at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, work on both of which will start next year. The Scottish Ambulance Service will also buy new ambulances and defibrillators.

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Scottish government