Phase II of Centre for Health Science 'opens wide'

The second phase of the £23m Centre for Health Science (Ionad Eòlas Slàinte) was 'opened wide' in Inverness this week for the first patient in its new dental centre - five year old Charlee MacPherson from Inverness.

One of the first of its kind in the UK, the Centre for Health Science brings together the public, private and academic sectors in healthcare and biotechnology, encouraging growth, interaction and innovation.

Once fully operational, the Inverness Dental Centre, a key facility within this phase, will transform services for thousands of patients with nine NHS dentists and a student clinic providing dental treatment to patients. The centre is the new home of dental services that until now have been provided at Hilton Dental Clinic, Inverness and Inverness High School.

The centre provides additional space for three new dentists to be recruited and over time, 3,000 new patients will be registered for routine NHS care. As well as students from the Highlands and Islands, dental students from the universities of Dundee, Glasgow and Dumfries will be taught through the new Inverness dental centre.

The Centre for Health Science was developed and is owned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and accommodates some of the healthcare and medical related organisations in and around Inverness.

In addition to the dental centre, the second phase has created premises for a new clinical skills centre, the centre for rural health, RRHEAL (Remote an Rural Health Educational Alliance), NHS Research and Development, biomedical business incubation space, and the Centre for Health Science company.

The Clinical Skills Centre is a purpose designed unit for training a wide variety of cognitive, communicative and practical skills to undergraduate and postgraduate nurses, doctors and dentists. A simulated four-bed ward and a practical skills laboratory are highlights of the facility including state-of-the-art videoconferencing and CCTV recording equipment. Modern equipment ranging from simple models to sophisticated life-size mannequins will be used for teaching diagnostic, technical and treatment skills.

The Centre for Rural Health is the only research centre of its kind in the UK - a collaborative venture between UHI Millennium Institute and the University of Aberdeen with a mission to advance knowledge of health and healthcare services in rural and remote communities.

Developed through NHS Education for Scotland (NES), the Remote and Rural Healthcare Educational Alliance (RRHEAL) has a Scotland-wide remit to explore new methods of bringing high quality education to the rural healthcare workforce.

To ensure all the aspirations of the Centre for Health Science are realised, a small company is headed by director Gillian Galloway, who was appointed earlier this year to co-ordinate all the tenants' activities and support them in achieving their objectives. The company is assisted in planning for further development by a board of directors representing the key stakeholders - HIE, UHI, the universities of Aberdeen and Stirling, NHS Highland and NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

Business incubation space has been created, with office and laboratory space dedicated to health-related firms with high growth potential. Anyone interested in business incubation at the centre should contact thecompany@cfhs.eu

The Centre for Health Science lies beside Raigmore Hospital, and the first phase accommodates the University of Stirling's department of nursery and midwifery, NES postgraduate medical centre, a new library for the Highland healthcare workforce and top class facilities for healthcare meetings and conferences.

A third and final phase, due for completion in November 2008 will contain the Highland Diabetes Institute - a unique partnership between NHS Highland, UHI and Lifescan Scotland to promote high standards of diabetes patient care and education. A clinical research facility will also be located in this phase, providing capacity for both the commercial and non-commercial clinical research studies.

The Centre for Health Science building is the product of a seven-way partnership between NHS Highland; NHS Education for Scotland; Stirling University; UHI Department of Diabetes; the Centre for Rural Health (University of Aberdeen/UHI), Lifescan and led by HIE.

Scottish artist Jackie Donachie was appointed in 2006 to lead on all aspects of integrating art into the centre's design. A key feature of the second phase is the central courtyard which has been landscaped to incorporate a wheelchair training area as well as space for the occupational therapy department of Raigmore Hospital. Part of the courtyard is protected by canopies to create an outside walkway between phases one and two.

Jackie has designed a concrete seating plinth that will be heated using green energy. Medical and sensory planting relating to healthcare is another feature of the courtyard.

Douglas Yule, Highlands and Islands Enterprise director of operations, said: "This is one of the most exciting projects undertaken by HIE. It fulfils the key objectives HIE works hard to achieve by bringing together high growth businesses to improve the region's competitiveness which strengthens our community. Turning this ambitious proposal into a reality has only been made possible by the active commitment of all our partners."

NHS Highland clinical director Cathy Lush explained that in addition to being a fantastic new facility, it will provide patients and staff with a modern and accessible environment.

"The additional space allows us to take on many more patients and the centre will also provide training for student dentists and dental therapists. We hope that this impressive facility will be a magnet for dentists, helping us to rebuild access to NHS dental care in the Highlands."

Professor Bob Cormack, principal of UHI also welcomed the second phase, saying: "The Centre for Health Science is a pioneering undertaking which will help to improve patient care and deliver real economic benefits to the region. From September, it will host our new undergraduate oral health science degree which has been developed with NHS Education for Scotland, Inverness College UHI, NHS Highland and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

"This degree will enable school leavers and mature students with appropriate qualifications to register as dental therapists and dental hygienists, and could help to improve access to dental care for people around the rural areas of Scotland. Therapists can perform many of the more routine treatments, freeing up dentists to concentrate on complex cases and enabling them to see more patients."

His views were fully backed by Professor David Godden from the Centre for Rural Health: "The Centre for Rural Health's research programme is focused on health, health services, technology and sustainability of rural and remote communities and has already established an international reputation. Locating it in the Centre for Health Science opens up superb new opportunities for research collaboration with academic, NHS and commercial partners and will provide direct links to teaching and training of future health professionals who will work in our rural and remote areas."

An official opening to mark the completion of the whole building is planned for January 2009.