Dundee throws its hat into the ring for major new NHS headquarters in Scotland

Dundee is currently home to NHS Tayside

Dundee has thrown its hat into the ring to become the headquarters of one of Scotland’s two new strategic NHS health boards - a move which could bring major public sector jobs and investment to the city.

Dundee City Council leader Mark Flynn has written directly to First Minister John Swinney making the case for the new eastern health board to be based in Dundee.

It follows plans announced by the Scottish Government to replace Scotland’s existing 14 territorial health boards with two much larger strategic boards covering the east and west of the country.

The shake-up represents one of the biggest structural changes to NHS Scotland since devolution.

And with the headquarters of the new boards still to be decided, Dundee is moving quickly to make its case.

Councillor Flynn believes the city has strong economic, geographic and operational advantages, describing securing the headquarters and the jobs which would come with it as a potential “game-changer” for Dundee.

He said: “I’ve long put forward the argument for more civil service jobs to come to Dundee, and there’s never been a more persuasive case than the proposed restructuring of NHS boards.

“While the criteria for deciding on the locations have not yet been set out, I’m clear there are strong economic, geographic and operational reasons for choosing Dundee.”

One of the strongest arguments being put forward is Dundee’s location.

Sitting between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, the city could be well placed for an eastern board potentially covering a huge part of Scotland, from the Borders northwards towards Aberdeenshire.

Dundee also already sits at the heart of a major healthcare and life sciences cluster.

Ninewells Hospital is one of Scotland’s largest teaching hospitals, while the University of Dundee and Abertay University provide further expertise and a skilled workforce within the city.

Councillor Flynn also argues that Dundee’s relative affordability compared with Edinburgh and Aberdeen could make the city an attractive and cost-effective base for a major new public sector organisation.

But there is another significant reason for Dundee to make its case.

The restructuring could ultimately mean the end of NHS Tayside in its current form, creating uncertainty over where some of the high-value administrative and strategic jobs currently based within the region would go.

Councillor Flynn warned that losing those positions to a headquarters elsewhere would represent a significant blow to Dundee and the wider regional economy.

He said: “With the deprivation challenges that Dundee faces, it is essential that we create the employment and opportunities for local people that would come with a major public sector headquarters.

“The converse is, of course, also true. If we were to lose high-value employment from the demise of NHS Tayside to a new board based elsewhere, it would be a significant blow to the local and regional economy.”

He added: “The geographic case is evident. An equal distance between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Dundee is perfectly located in the heart of east Scotland to support a board which could stretch from the Borders to the top of Aberdeenshire.

“Most of all, Dundee presents a unique set of operational advantages. There’s already so much expertise here, with a world-leading teaching hospital and two fantastic universities.”

The council leader is now calling for organisations, politicians and businesses across Dundee and the wider region to unite behind the bid.

The Dundee Partnership has already agreed to back the call for the new headquarters to be located in the city.

Councillor Flynn said Dundee’s record of working alongside neighbouring councils through initiatives such as the Tay Cities Region Deal also demonstrated that locating the headquarters in Dundee could benefit more than the city alone.

He added: “We have great partnerships in Dundee - it’s one of the city’s strengths.

“We also work well with our neighbouring authorities, as evidenced by the success thus far of the Tay Cities Region Deal.

“Siting a strategic board HQ in Dundee would undoubtedly benefit the economy of the wider Tay Cities region.”

No decision has yet been taken on where either of Scotland’s new strategic health boards will be headquartered.

But Dundee has now made its intentions very clear - and the case for bringing one of the biggest new public sector headquarters in Scotland to the City of Discovery has officially begun.