Alternative future for historic hospital

A NATIONAL veterans care organisation is investigating the potential use of a much-loved Forres building that closed last October.

Directors from the Erskine charity met with representatives of LDN architects, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Armed Forces Covenant team at Leanchoil Hospital to discuss opening it as a retreat for veterans.

Erskine chief executive Ian Cumming took a positive report back to his colleagues, including Ministry of Defence data confirming that 2700 people receive armed service pensions in the Moray catchment area and 16 per cent of the Moray population is ex-armed forces.

He said: "We are currently looking at potential sites, with the Highlands being of particular interest due to the high population of veterans in the region.

"We are in early talks with the local authorities about potential sites for consideration, including the former Leanchoil Hospital building in Forres."

Erskine veterans care charity, based in Erskine, Renfrewshire, opened as Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers in 1916 to treat thousands of military personnel in the First World War. It has gone on to offer help to British veterans of every subsequent war, providing long-term nursing, respite, dementia and end-of-life medical care for veterans of the British Armed Forces who have settled in Scotland.

The charity also provides a range of individual and family accommodation and Veterans Activity Centres.

Mr Cumming said: “In January 2018, we opened our first Activity Centre for Veterans on our Veterans Village in Bishopton. The Reid Macewen Activity Centre has proved a huge success, with more than 130 veterans of a wide age-range attending, many of whom were at risk of isolation and loneliness. Members have described the centre as life-changing and life-saving.

"Erskine would like to see this facility replicated to support more veterans across Scotland."

Forres Community Council have commissioned a feasibility survey of Leanchoil Hospital by LDN Architects ahead of a potential Community Asset Transfer from NHS Grampian.

LDN partner Stuart MacKellar said: Meeting with Erskine was positive in almost all respects. Erskine operates four purpose-built care homes/activity centres with a total of 299 rooms and 40 specialist dementia suites, and is currently building 24 short to mid-term single living apartments. It provides 339 beds and cares for 800 veterans annually.

"Erskine sees Leanchoil as a potential smaller version of Bishopton activity centre, whose annual running costs are £350,000."

He added: "Erskine employs professional carers, activity specialists and support staff as well a 13 modern apprenticeships.

"Erskine is open to the idea of using a CAT as the principal method of delivery and made clear that collaboration is at the heart of what it does and that it would be willing to work with other development partners."

Forres Community Council chairman Graham Hilditch confirmed a number of ideas for alternative uses for Leanchoil have been mooted since a public consultation event at the Tolbooth last month.

Talking about the private meeting with the veterans charity, he said: "It went really well. We showed them around the building and Erskine were very impressed."