Plans for Charlie House care centre for young unveiled in Aberdeen

Plans for a multi-million pound specialist support centre in Aberdeen for babies, children and young people with complex disabilities and life-limiting conditions have been unveiled.

The Charlie House charity hopes to build an eight-bedroom centre, with extra family accommodation, in the grounds of Woodend Hospital.

It would include a sensory room and garden, and a spa pool.

The joint plans with NHS Grampian have been lodged with the council.

Tracy Johnstone, of Charlie House, said: "The long-term vision and dream for the charity has always been to have a purpose-built centre in Aberdeen to provide planned and emergency short breaks, palliative and end-of-life care for children, as sadly north east families currently have to travel over 100 miles to Kinross to access this type of service.

"This project has always been about offering the families we support choice.

"The state-of-the-art specialist support centre will be the first of its kind in the region to offer these support services to the people of the north east of Scotland encompassing the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland."

Nick Fluck, medical director at NHS Grampian, said: "There are currently around 1,500 children and young people in the north east of Scotland requiring palliative care.

"We are looking forward to the centre becoming a reality."