McClure Naismith has been appointed as legal adviser to Health Facilities Scotland (HFS), the NHS organisation overseeing a £900m four year programme to build and refurbish a range of healthcare facilities for NHS Boards across Scotland.

The firm will provide a wide range of legal advice and services on framework agreements throughout the four years of the £900m programme.

Head of Construction at McClure Naismith Mark Cowie, who led the winning bid, said: "We have considerable experience in the healthcare sector, which helped to differentiate McClure Naismith from very tough competition. We are also able to blend our healthcare expertise with wider PPP and financial expertise, which added to our credentials. We are delighted with this exciting and very important appointment, and very much look forward to working with the HFS team".

Eight firms have been shortlisted to bid for the £900m programme and between three and five winning teams will be chosen in October with work starting on the first schemes straight away. Projects procured through the framework are expected to be valued at between £1 million and £100 million. Health Facilities Scotland is a multi-disciplinary organisation working in partnership with NHSScotland Health Boards, the Scottish Partnership Forum, the Scottish Government Health Directorate, Department of Health (England), NHS Wales and Northern Ireland.

HFS also delivers an extensive education and training programme in relation to each of the subjects mentioned above. It is also responsible for the national Hazards and Safety Action Notice service for NHSScotland, which is co-ordinated UK wide.  It works closely with the Scottish Government to establish professional and technical standards and best practices.