FIRST LOOK: New images reveal design of new kids’ surgical unit Ninewells as plans officially submitted

Images showing how Tayside’s new life-changing children’s hospital could look have been revealed.

After years of fundraising, a planning application for the state-of-the-art twin theatre paediatric surgical suite at Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells Hospital has been submitted to Dundee City Council.

Artist’s impressions published as part of the application show a colourful exterior that will be built on to the existing hospital buildings.

Layout plans for the new wards show that the hospital’s existing laboratory facilities, in the west of the sprawling complex of Ninewells, will make way for the children’s treatment area.

It will boast play areas, assisted bathing zones for children with additional needs, dedicated side rooms for children who need extra privacy and two state-of-the-art operating theatres.

There will also be quiet rooms and special waiting rooms for parents.

Details of dates on which construction might begin – or when the hospital may open – are not included with the application.

The new facilities had been set to open this year but have been subject to delay.

However, the submission of a planning application by RDA Architect on behalf of NHS Tayside suggests the plans could now be rolling on once again.

The application was tabled after years of fundraising for the theatre, most notably through the city’s Oor Wullie Bucket Trail in 2016, organised by the Archie Foundation.

It was held throughout the city over the summer of that year, where people sought out 50 specially-designed Oor Wullie characters at different locations, before the figures were auctioned off. In total the initiative raised £883,000 towards the hospital.

Detailed plans for the theatre suite were first revealed by Dr Grant Rodney, a consultant anaesthetist and clinical lead for paediatric surgery, in an interview with the Tele in 2016.

At the time Dr Rodney said: “We want to create a high-quality environment that will be positive for children of all ages from the very young to adolescents.”

He said he envisaged creating something similar to the top children’s facilities in the country such as the new Alderhey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

“Obviously it will be on a smaller scale but that is the model we would like to copy,” he added.

Children from all over the Tayside and northern Fife region will be able to use the hospital and it’s hoped the capacity of the facility would be increased substantially.

Dr Rodney said: “The two new operating theatres themselves will allow us to hopefully care for more children than ever before at Tayside Children’s Hospital.

“At the moment about 3,000 children go through the existing theatre at the hospital.

“By doubling our theatres we will be able to care for many more children.”

Last year it was revealed that interactive 3D projections will be used to guide patients through the hospital in a bid to put children at ease on their way to the operating theatre.

The new surgical facilities are being paid for by the Scottish Government and the health board.

The Archie Foundation also got on board in 2014 to try to raise £2 million to provide ancillary facilities to make the new suite as attractive and effective as possible for the children and families who will be using it.