Policy actions  5 of 5

National Treatment Centres

The National Treatment Centre (NTC) programme is an investment by the Scottish Government to support a national network of purpose-built healthcare facilities across Scotland for planned and diagnostic care. The new facilities will be an important resource both locally and nationally providing:

  • an increase in capacity to support patients to access treatment
  • increased flexibility for patients accessing treatment
  • support collaborative working across territorial NHS Boards

The expansion of the NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank opened in August 2024, providing capacity for general surgery, orthopaedic and endoscopy procedures.

The phased opening of NTC-Forth Valley began treating patients in October 2024, providing additional orthopaedic activity. The final phase will be the completion of a new inpatient ward.

NTC Fife Orthopaedics (Kirkcaldy) opened in March 2023 and will provide capacity for almost 500 orthopaedic procedures in 2023/24,  increasing to over 700 by 2025/26.

NTC Highland (Inverness) opened in April 2023, creating additional capacity for orthopaedic and ophthalmic procedures, including hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery.

In November 2020, we opened the Eye Centre at NHS Golden Jubilee University National Hospital. In 2021/22 over 8,700 cataract operations were undertaken at this new facility. 

Altogether, the new centres will provide:

  • a total capacity of eight additional orthopaedic theatres
  • an additional inpatient/daycase ward
  • five endoscopy rooms
  • two general theatres

Read more at National Treatment Centres | NHS inform  

Back to top