The hospital was procured under a
Private Finance Initiative contract to replace the ageing
Law Hospital in November 1998. The works, which were designed by the
Percy Thomas Partnership and undertaken by
Sir Robert McAlpine at a cost of £100 million, were completed in February 2001. The hospital was fully operation by the end of May 2001. 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 Hospital 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 the hospital 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 2014, an Intensive Psychiatry Care Unit (IPCU) opened at the hospital. In November 2017, NHS Lanarkshire renamed all three acute hospitals in the local area to reflect their new university teaching status. ==Facilities==