By Cheryl Wood

CUPAR IS to have a redeveloped hospital fit for the 21st century within the next three years, NHS Fife has revealed.

Major investment in Adamson Hospital has been announced which will see an upgrade of the hospital and its community health centre completed by 2009.

The health authority said the redesign of the hospital would provide patients with high-quality care delivered in modern surroundings.

The overhaul is also aimed at promoting closer working relationships between health care professionals and those they work with in the community.

Scotland’s health minister Andy Kerr is to visit the hospital next month to hear of the plans, as he conducts his annual review of Fife’s health service.

NHS Fife has been working on options for the redevelopment of the centre for the past year and a half and has now taken a major step forward.

Fife NHS Board has considered an initial document on the proposals and has approved the development of an outline business case.

Consultancy firm Stratagem has been appointed to work alongside the project board on the business case.

Vicky Irons, general manager of the North East Fife Community Health Partnership which is leading the project, said, “This is excellent news for patients and staff alike.

“This development represents a significant step forward in improving patient care and delivering health care services as locally as possible.”

Cupar councillor Margaret Kennedy was delighted to hear that progress, which she said had been a long time coming, was at last being made.

She had earlier criticised NHS Fife for the delay in making known its plans for the hospital.

She said, “I am aware that projects have started before and have never been brought to fruition so this is a very positive step forward.”

Refurbishment would allow services hampered by a lack of space to expand, she said.

“There is nothing wrong with the care provided at the moment; there are really good people working at the Adamson but they are held back in relation to the environment they are working in.

“The hospital is not in an appropriate environment. There is a public corridor running through a ward. The health centre is a very busy practice and has expanded a lot in recent years but it is very limited by space. The whole place needs redesigned.

“There are a lot of exciting opportunities for everybody involved to really excel the Adamson in relation to community-based care.”

Mr Kerr will be at the Adamson Hospital on August 14. During his visit he will also learn about the hospital’s new radiology system which allows x-ray images to be sent electronically to radiologists based elsewhere in Fife.

Patients and members of the public are to be invited to an awareness event in the autumn to discuss the proposals for the hospital.