A new cancer unit at Borders General Hospital will get the royal seal of approval later today.
The Duke of Gloucester will be in Melrose to officially open the Margaret Kerr Unit which delivers care to terminally ill patients.
A newly refurbished unit for stroke patients is now open for business in the Scottish Borders, and former patients have described the transformation as 'night and day'.
Its launch coincides with a campaign that is urging people to act fast if they suspect someone is having a stroke.
Kathryn Samson reports.
The recently refurbished NHS Borders Stroke Unit in Melrose has opened for business.
The new unit, based at the Borders General Hospital, will deliver a high level of care to patients who have suffered from strokes.
Kilt wearing fundraisers from the Borders Barmy Army are running to raise money for Borders General Hospital.
They are pounding a treadmill from 8am until 5pm.
Last year, they abseiled down the front of the hospital to raise cash.
The group, which was set up four years ago, has raised over £50,000 for various local and national charities.
The Scottish Ambulance service are making an appeal to the Scottish Government, after plans for a new ambulance station at the Borders General Hospital were rejected.
The ambulance service want to replace the old depot in Galashiels with a new facility near the hospital in Melrose.
However, councillors rejected the plans due to 'landscaping' concerns, as they were worried the possible felling of trees would affect the scenic landscape of the Eildon hills.
Campaigners say that the new site would improve ambulance response times, which are below the current government target.
The first patients are now being treated at the Margaret Kerr unit in the Borders.
It is the first facility in that area which provides specialised medical care for people with long term serious illnesses.
More than £3.5 million was raised by local people and charities to build the unit, which is based at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose.
Managers at NHS Borders are being asked to reconsider plans to close the hydrotherapy pool at Borders General Hospital.
MSP Christine Grahame was contacted by a number of constituents following the revelation that the pool would closed by the end of the year.
– Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP Christine Grahame"I was contacted by a senior health professional this week who told me that senior physiotherapists had resigned but the Chief Executive of NHS Borders assures me this is not the case.
"If it had been true it would be an unacceptable position to put members of staff in.
"The health board has suggested that people who currently use the facility, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis, stroke patients and those with cancer, could use their local swimming pool as an alternative but this is simply not an option for most people."
Ms Grahame said she was contacted by several patients, one of who was very upset at the prospect of the unit closing as it had been a vital part of her treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
– Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP Christine Grahame"To expect people with this crippling disorder, not to mention those recovering from stroke, to attend a local swimming pool where conditions will be far from ideal, is simply outrageous.
"I believe there will also be an oncology unit built on site so surely a hydrotherapy pool would be an asset, if not a necessity, for such patients' recovery.
"I await a response form NHS Borders on this matter, which is affecting hundreds of people in my constituency alone, let alone the rest of the region."
A 43-year-old was left with a fractured skull, after falling from his bike outside the Borders General Hospital at around 6.30pm on 15th November.
The cyclist is currently being treated in hospital, however his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses with any information to come forward.
Road Policing Officers are investigating the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
– Spokesperson, Lothian and Borders Police"We are still trying to establish how the cyclist fell from his bike and are keen to hear from pedestrians or motorists who were in the area just after 6.30pm on Wednesday."Anyone with information that can help officers with their investigation is asked to contact police immediately."
Those with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
Plans for a new ambulance depot at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose have been rejected by councillors.
The Scottish Ambulance Service wanted to close down their current Galashiels depot and build a new one at the hospital to serve the central Borders.
They said the location next to the hospital would have allowed them easier and faster access to emergency locations.
However, members from the planning and development committee at the Scottish Borders Council meeting voted 8-3 against the application due to landscape concerns.
The full application to be debated at Monday's meeting is for both an ambulance station and a workshop to the north of the hospital building with dedicated access to both. Principal Planning Officer Carlos Clarke said:
– Carlos Clarke, Scottish Borders CouncilThe benefits of the proposed development do not outweigh the significant adverse landscape
impacts that would result and it it has not been demonstrated that alternatives to the proposed site are not available or that the landscape impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated."