Snapshot Report March 2026
Community benefits
Lesley Aitken
MRP Community Benefits Engagement Lead
What we’ve done
Community Benefits are developed and implemented through the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) team and construction partner Laing O’Rourke, with five key themes – economic, employment, training, environmental, and community priorities.
We’re already planning our next Summer School programme – our popular and successful classes for senior school pupils. Applications will be open soon. We were also at careers events at Strathaven High School and Trinity High School in Rutherglen.
Activity by Laing O’Rourke included attending a youth recruitment event at Airdrie Town Hall, a Biggar High School careers event and mentoring civil engineering students at the University of Strathclyde. They’re also recruiting trade apprentices – applications close 27 March.
What we’ve planned
We’ll continue to work with Laing O’Rourke on the Community Benefits for the current pre-construction phase and the upcoming construction phase. Teaming up with communications colleagues to develop a digital careers resource.
Equipping
Helen Tomlinson
Equipment Manager
What we’ve done
There’s plenty going on and it’s not just technical and healthcare equipment we have to think about. We’re making sure our public-facing equipment such as seating is welcoming and offers our visitors, patients and staff a different look and feel to what they’re used to.
Work continues on the draft procurement strategy and there were workshops held on equipping and storage requirements. An equipping resource plan was developed for the project’s construction and commissioning stages, to be refined so it links to key milestones.
What we’ve planned
We’ll have a revised equipment schedule and a number of tasks will be undertaken in line with it.
Service redesign
Donna McHenry
Service Redesign Lead
What we’ve done
This part of the project looks at how services can be redesigned to maximise how well they work in the new hospital.
We met with teams to discuss the new operational arrangements for some departments and held further engagement sessions with stakeholders.
What we’ve planned
Working with departments to develop new standard operating procedures and reviewing departmental and room layouts virtually within the Immersive Suite.
We’re also preparing the revised Service Redesign Programme and structure, which will take us through to migration to the new hospital.
Workforce
Julia Kis
MRP Workforce Project Manager
What we’ve done
We continue to work closely with NHS Lanarkshire workforce colleagues to ensure the MRP is captured in the upcoming workforce plan for the entire Board.
We’re also working on the development of a recruitment plan to enable us to narrow timelines and funding requirements in line with our plans for “transition” – the big move to the new hospital.
What we’ve planned
More work on developing our recruitment, training and transition plans for the new hospital.
Other News
We’ve appointed two associate project directors, Fiona Cowan and Michelle Higgins.
They will play a pivotal role with regard to construction, service transition, commissioning, and evaluation of the new facility.
Fiona is already a key member of the project team, having successfully undertaken the role of MRP Clinical Lead for Nursing for the past five years. Michelle also has a nursing background and returns to Scotland from NHS England after previously working at NHS Forth Valley, NHS24 and the Scottish Government.