Spire Murrayfield Hospital is investing £25 million in the purchase and development of a three acre site at Shawfair Park, located just off the Edinburgh city by-pass, to create a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre and hospital.
The new healthcare facility, to open in the autumn of 2009, will include operating theatres, 15 beds, outpatient consulting facilities and enable new services to be introduced in line with local needs.
The investment has been made possible by Spire Healthcare’s recent acquisition by leading private equity investor Cinven and its new status as a stand-alone private healthcare provider. Previously it was part of the BUPA group of hospitals.
“The move signals our commitment to growing the capabilities of Spire Murrayfield Hospital and our confidence in the future of the Shawfair Park development,” said Fergus Macpherson, deputy hospital director.
“It also offers exciting new employment opportunities for people in the area as we will be recruiting clinicians and support staff."
“Spire Healthcare’s hospitals are committed to providing the best private healthcare service possible. To deliver this, we must invest in our hospital so we can continue to offer our patients a service characterised by top quality clinical treatment and state-of-the-art facilities.
“The land, which we purchased from the Buccleuch Property in December last year, is exceptionally well situated being within easy reach of the Edinburgh city by-pass and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the ‘home base’ for many of our consultants.
“We have an option on a further 1.5 acres of land in anticipation of future hospital expansion,” he said.
Sandy Smith, development director at Buccleuch said: “The investment in Shawfair Park by Spire, one of the UK’s largest private hospital providers, is a sign of the confidence the wider business community has in this new development and the wider South East Wedge proposals. We are delighted that they have chosen to locate on our Business Park and we look forward to working them and Midlothian Council to deliver the completed facility”.
“The hospital will be a key resource for the estimated 2,500 office workers who locate on the park and the thousands of residents who will make the new SEW community their home," he added.
Cameron Stott, director of Jones Lang LaSalle, which acted for Buccleuch, said: "With Spire's announcement and the first phase of speculative office development due to be completed next month, we are very excited about the prospects for Shawfair. We have occupier interest in the first phase and are speaking to other parties about potential purpose-built premises. There is no doubt the location is attracting occupiers being so close to the city bypass and the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France. We are also working closely with Midlothian Council, which is able to offer Regional Selective Assistance to Shawfair Park."
Shawfair Park will provide approximately 300,000 square feet of office space along with hotel and ancillary uses to support the businesses that locate there. Midlothian Council have recently opened their new £1.9 million Sheriffhall Park & Ride facility, which offers 580 spaces and 15 buses an hour into Edinburgh City Centre and beyond.
Shawfair Park provides the ‘gateway’ to the wider South East Wedge proposals which will include 3,500 new homes, 2 new schools, and a town centre.
