Rugby club give hospital site backing

With just days to go before the board of NHS Orkney meet on Thursday to decide on the site for the replacement Balfour Hospital, Orkney Rugby Club have issued a statement voicing its support for the controversial Corse West site.

In a statement Kevin Sutherland, chairman of ORFC spelt out the view of the organisation.

He said: “We, the management committee of Orkney Rugby Football Club, wish to publicly declare our unreserved support for the siting of NHS Orkney’s new Health and Wellbeing Campus at the Corse West site.

“The establishment of a unisex, multi-sport, outdoor changing facility, incorporating a new ORFC Clubhouse as well as plans for a new pitch, improved traffic management infrastructure and parking, would not only serve to benefit Orkney’s sporting community as a whole, but also the many Pickaquoy Centre users.

“Since the release of more detailed information pertaining to the Corse West site in the media last week, and taking into consideration the associated benefits to the Orkney Rugby Club, we are confident that the majority of the ORFC membership, which is many hundreds, would now support Corse West as the preferred site for the proposed new hospital.

“Orkney Rugby Football Club is certain that, when the NHS Orkney Board meets on Thursday 24th October, each board member will consider all of the proposed sites equitably and make their decisions solely based upon the merits of each site. We also hope that the board will choose to site any future Health and Wellbeing Campus upon the area which is best suited to benefit of the people of Orkney.”