ALMOST 500 jobs could be set to leave Clydebank in the next year as the Golden Jubilee expands its services.

The 470 staff at NHS 24 based on the Dalmuir site will move out between November 2020 and November 2021, they have confirmed.

The Golden Jubilee Hospital restarted procedures on July 1 and was looking to speed up their planned expansion.

But they also opted to take space in the building back from NHS 24 as the hospital moves to try to clear some of the NHS backlog created by months of pandemic lockdown.

NHS Golden Jubilee Chief Executive Jann Gardner told the Post: “We’ve been working with NHS 24 for some time looking at the need to be able to use all areas of the hospital in the months and years ahead.

“So we’ve been working with NHS 24 about whether we could use that facility in a different way. That is part of the bigger plan in terms of making the absolute most of this site to provide the greatest number of procedures that we possibly can.”

The Clydebank centre is one of four main ones in Scotland, opened in 2002.

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A spokeswoman for NHS 24 said they were helping the expansion of services to meet national patient demand.

She said: “We have agreed a phased approach to handing over the space we occupy with milestones being November 2020 then November 2021. Around 470 NHS 24 staff currently work at the site.

“The plan is to have fully re-located services to another site by November 2021 in discussion with Scottish Government. All options short-listed are within a 10 mile drive of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, with some in neighbouring council areas.

“Minimising disruption to staff and services was an important factor in considering sites.”

Clydebank’s MSP, Gil Paterson, welcomed the plans as a “win, win”.

He said: “As the hospital continues to grow and expand it has been providing many additional jobs to Clydebank, 500 new jobs over the next two years alone, which will be a big help for the local economy.

“Although NHS 24 is relocating, this is without any job losses, this move will allow for further expansion to the wonderful asset that is the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, and not only for Clydebank but for the whole of Scotland, which is recognised world-wide for the quality of research and healing that it achieves on a daily basis.

“This is in fact a win, win situation, no-one loses their jobs but more well paid jobs are being created – all for the purpose of keeping us well.”