£75m psychiatric hospital opened by Alex Salmond

First Minister Alex Salmond officialy opened the hospital today. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The new development will provide state-of-the-art mental health facilities for inpatients, outpatients and day patients from across Tayside and replaces the previous 19th Century buildings on the existing Murray Royal Hospital site.

There has been a hospital on the Murray Royal site for patients with mental illness since 1827.

Mr Salmond, said: “This Government is determined to invest in Scotland’s infrastructure – our hospitals are vital, schools are crucial, and roads essential both to stimulate growth in the short term and lay the foundations for long-term economic success.

“I am delighted to open the new Murray Royal Hospital which is the first from a pipeline of Non Profit Distributing construction projects in our health services totalling £845 million, an investment that clearly demonstrates our commitment to improving the NHS and in turn the lives of those who live in Scotland.”

He added: “Our capital commitment in hospitals, schools and roads and other infrastructure is set to top £3.4 billion in 2013-14. This unprecedented level of investment, which is estimated to support more than 40,000 jobs across Scotland, is good news for the health service, good news for the construction sector and good news for the Scottish economy.”

Sandy Watson, the chairman of NHS Tayside, said, “It is wonderful to see these fantastic facilities up and running with staff and patients in their new environment. The new development provides the people of Tayside with mental health facilities fit for the 21st Century and is making a real difference to our patients.”

All patients in the new Murray Royal Hospital have a single room with en-suite facilities. All the wards have courtyards with access to gardens and the wider grounds for recreation.