Plans for a new National Treatment Centre (NTC) in Ayrshire & Arran are stalled out as NHS and Scottish government officials have not yet confirmed a definitive start or completion date for key phases of the project.
“The Carrick Glen National Treatment Centre...was supposed to upgrade significantly the level of care for patients across Ayrshire and Arran,” said Sharon Dowey, Conservative MSP of South Scotland, during a parliamentary meeting in November.
“Two years ago, it was decided to hit pause on the scheme, even though around £5m had been spent on it. The building now sits lifeless, contributing nothing, and yet sucking out millions of pounds that could have been invested elsewhere.”
History of the site
NHS Ayrshire & Arran purchased the £1.8m private hospital Carrick Glen in 2022 to adapt it as the local NTC, reflecting ongoing commitment to increasing treatment.
The Scottish Government originally committed over £400m to build out NTCs all across the country, but that is now estimated to require more than £600m to deliver the full network of centres across the country.
However, audit material and recent reporting indicate the project’s timeline has shifted.
Budget decisions and wider capital planning processes mean that while earlier forecasts targeted opening in 2025, work is now anticipated to extend into the latter part of the decade with no confirmed opening date.
Financial pressures
The recent Scottish budgets did not allocate dedicated funding for the next stages of the project.
The newly released audit report also flags significant financial strain on NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
The Ayrshire & Arran board required tens of millions of pounds in additional support from the Scottish Government to break even in 2024/25, and it now holds the highest level of outstanding brokerage across NHS Scotland.
The Scottish Government has also imposed a two‑year freeze on all new NHS building projects, meaning planned facilities, including Ayrshire’s National Treatment Centre, have been put on hold pending future capital funding decisions.
Such financial pressures complicate the board’s ability to invest in infrastructure while maintaining frontline service delivery.
What is next?
Local and national health officials say progress continues in planning, design and coordination with stakeholders to ensure the new facility delivers high‑quality care once operational.
They also highlight that the NTC forms part of Scotland’s broader investment in health infrastructure aimed at reducing backlogs and improving patient outcomes across the NHS.
But for many in Ayrshire, this limbo, widely discussed in community forums and by local elected representatives, has generated frustration.
The local community has welcomed the focus on future treatment capacity, while asking for clearer milestones from NHS Ayrshire & Arran and the Scottish Government to help manage expectations about when new services will be available locally.