Moving to the new hospital
MRP migration is defined as organising and managing the transfer of services, patients and equipment into the new facility.
The planning and preparation for migration is still in its infancy whilst the MRP programme is being developed and an outline strategy has begun to detail the planning for a safe and seamless migration from the existing University Hospital Monklands to the new site at Wester Moffat. This will be a complex and collaborative approach involving a range of internal and external stakeholders. Effective communication combined with clear and concise planning will be key to ensure a successful migration from one site to the other.
Planning the move
The planning and preparation for the move to the new hospital will begin well in advance of the physical move with early discussions already taking place within the project team.
A more detailed transition plan will be developed as the project moves forward, which will be key to a smooth transition for services, staff and equipment.
Equipment and Technical Migration
New systems will be installed and thoroughly tested ahead of the move and a staff training programme will be fully implemented to prepare for the new working environment.
Our new Immersive Suite on the current hospital site will be used to help staff and members of the public to visualise the new design and layout of the hospital to allow for a seamless move to the new building. In addition, this facility will provide opportunities for staff to utilise and familiarise themselves with new equipment.
Patient Migration
The move will be carried out using a phased approach to ensure minimal disruption to patient care and will allow time for feedback and refinement as the plan moves forward.
The process will be co-ordinated by health professionals between the current site and the new hospital and will be focussed on patient safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be help for staff to travel to the new site?
Yes. Any relocation of a staff base is carried out under NHS Lanarkshire’s organisational change policy, which ensures that colleagues who have additional travel costs to a new location are reimbursed these costs for a period of four years. There will also be new public transport links to the new site. If there was sufficient demand, we would also consider the possibility of running a shuttle bus for staff who currently walk to work, from the vicinity of the current site to the new location.
What are the plans for the existing Monklands site once the new hospital is built?
We intend to create a health and wellbeing village on the current site of University Hospital Monklands after the hospital moves. This means the local community will benefit from enhanced community-based healthcare in addition to the development of a new University Hospital Monklands, helping to reduce health inequalities and providing the opportunity for economic regeneration in the area.
Discussions on this will be progressed with North Lanarkshire Council, the University of Strathclyde and other community planning partners.
We’ll look for opportunities to repurpose the modern buildings on the existing site that are currently home to the Lanarkshire Beatson and Maggie’s Lanarkshire, but this will be dependent on the final plans for the development of the site.
What about the Lanarkshire Beatson and Maggie’s Lanarkshire – will they move to Wester Moffat?
Yes. The Lanarkshire Beatson radiotherapy centre will be within the new hospital building, right next to the cancer unit. It is an operational requirement for the Beatson to be located on an acute hospital site. The Maggie’s Lanarkshire cancer support centre will be on the new hospital’s campus and is planned to be within easy walking distance of the cancer unit.
“We continue to work with key stakeholders and members of our project team to develop commissioning, migration and soft landings strategies for the Monklands Replacement Project (MRP). These strategies help to plan out the process of moving all staff, equipment and systems to the new hospital as it becomes operational.”
Lisa Armitage
Commissioning and Migration Manager
Monklands Replacement Project