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News / NHS and SIC to share Montfield offices

The Montfield site is to become the HQ for NHS Shetland and SIC community care. Pic. Irvine Contractors

NHS SHETLAND is to relocate its headquarters from Brevik House to the first floor of the former Montfield hospital, saving the health board £70,000 a year.

The move will see senior health managers share offices on the former hospital’s redundant first floor with Shetland Islands Council’s top community care managers.

Once planning permission has been granted, the board hopes the work can be completed using Scottish government funding by March next year.

NHS Shetland chief executive Ralph Roberts said they had been looking at the best way to use Montfield’s upper floor for the past two years, since they moved out their interim placement unit and converted downstairs into a care home.

“We have been involved with discussions with the council about how we can make best use of space, and the outcome of that is to get off the Brevik site and relocate our headquarters,” he said.

Moving will save the board £70,000 a year in capital charges, electricity, rates and other bills at Brevik, helping towards the £2.5 million savings target set for the current financial year.

“This will support joint working, it will save money and let us get out of this building so ultimately we can sell it,” Roberts said.

The SIC’s senior community care team run by director Sally Shaw will move in with NHS Shetland’s senior management team, along with staff from its public health, occupational health and human resources sections.

Between 30 and 40 council and health staff will work together in the new office, however there will not be enough space for NHS Shetland’s health promotion unit, which will move into the council’s Grantfield offices alongside social work.

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