Sir John Wilson, a businessman and local
politician,
bequeathed the land to the people of Airdrie and it became the local
maternity hospital (Airdrie House Maternity Home Hospital) in 1919. The facility closed as a maternity hospital in 1962 and was completely demolished in 1964. Originally planned as Airdrie District General Hospital, following a local
council reorganisation, the new acute hospital on the site became known as Monklands District General Hospital. Although some hospital departments, including the College of Nursing were open by 1974, the hospital did not become fully operational until 1977. In April 2006 NHS Lanarkshire issued its 'Picture of Health' document suggested the downgrading to two consultant-led A&E departments, with a choice between Monklands Hospital and
Hairmyres Hospital for downgrading. The level two hospital would have a
nurse-led
Minor Injuries Unit, along with planned
surgery, full
diagnostic/
outpatient services and general
medicine. Eventually, Monklands was earmarked for downgrading. This would have resulted in
NHS Lanarkshire having consultant-led accident and emergency departments only at
Wishaw General Hospital and Hairmyres Hospital in
East Kilbride. The decision to downgrade was widely criticised, with the former
Home Secretary,
John Reid MP, voicing his disapproval of the plans. In September 2006, the plan was approved by
Lewis MacDonald, Deputy Health and Community Care minister. In May 2007, the
Labour administration lost out to the
Scottish National Party in the
2007 Scottish Parliament election and the decision was overturned by the new
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing,
Nicola Sturgeon. She demanded that NHS Lanarkshire find a way of keeping three fully functioning consultant-led A+E departments in Lanarkshire. In 2009 NHS Lanarkshire developed seven possible combinations of keeping three A+E departments open; these were subsequently delivered for
public scrutiny. In December 2013 it emerged that
Healthcare Improvement Scotland figures showed the hospital had recorded a higher than predicted mortality rate in 18 of the previous 27 quarterly reports. The
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland produced a report entitled "Learning from serious failings in care" in July 2015. They found above-average mortality rates at the hospital and called on NHS Lanarkshire to make widespread improvements. In November 2017, NHS Lanarkshire renamed all three acute hospitals in the local area to reflect their new university teaching status. A new hospital in Wester Moffatt is due to be completed by 2031. ==Facilities==