Ninewells assisted conception unit extension started

Image caption, NHS Tayside chairman Sandy Watson cut the first sod

A 拢3.8m building project to upgrade the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee has begun.

The extension to the current facility, the second largest unit in Scotland, is expected to take a year to complete.

NHS Tayside chairman Sandy Watson cut the first sod to mark the start of construction.

Ninewells ACU, which was established in 1983, was the first centre in Scotland to offer assisted conception treatment.

It provides a referral service for patients from Tayside, Fife, Forth Valley and the Western Isles and a service for self-funded patients from across Scotland.

Once the extension is built by Morrison Healthcare, ACU services will be moved to another ward in the hospital while the current facility is redeveloped.

Mr Watson said: "I am delighted to see work begin on the upgrading of the Assisted Conception Unit, which will bring great benefit to people in Tayside and beyond."