MANAGERS at Clydebank's Golden Jubilee hospital are drawing up expansion plans after the Government announced it was to get a £50m boost.

As reported in the Evening Times last month, the Scottish Government revealed a £200m injection which will see six state-of-the-art sites, modelled on the Golden Jubilee, built at hospitals across Scotland.

The hospital, which performs 25% of all hip and knee replacements in Scotland, opened in 2002 and has become the home of regional and national heart and lung services.

A spokesman said hospital managers were now creating a business plan to expand its services and "treat more patients than ever before."

Chief executive Jill Young said: “With a continuous increasing demand on services, the Golden Jubilee is continuing to receive more referrals than ever before from patients who wish to access our high quality, person centred services.

"The hospital is a centre of excellence in heart and lung disease, orthopaedics and ophthalmology and is recognised internationally as a champion of healthcare innovation. As we work towards our vision of leading quality, research and innovation, we are excited to work with the Scottish Government on this new strategy."

She said the funding would allow them to help deliver a world-class standard of safe and effective care.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last month announced that Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness were to be be given a total of £60million to develop their facilities, which will be used for elective procedures such as cataracts or hip replacements.

The “elective treatment centres” – two of six that will be built across the country - are due to be constructed by 2021.