Management and staff at Westminster Health Care are celebrating the official opening of their new business premises at the Beechwood Business Park in Inverness this afternoon by Alasdair Morrison MSP (Tuesday 21st November).

This is Westminster Health Care's second move since the company decided to relocate a section of its London-based headquarters to the Highland capital in 1998. In an unprecedented move, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (INE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network, vacated their own town centre offices to allow Westminster Health Care to come to the Highlands. INE have continued to assist Westminster Health Care, along with HIE, and now the two organisations are neighbours with INE having moved to the Green House at Beechwood earlier this year.

Westminster Health Care is one of the UK's leading independent providers of a wide range of healthcare services and the new 21,000 sq.ft premises will provide support for the whole of the company's UK operations. Westminster Health Care currently employ 50 people in Inverness but staffing levels are expected to exceed 160 by 2003 with positions in accountancy, IT, finance, personnel and telesales.

Dr Chai Patel, chief executive of Westminster Health Care said: "Our decision to strengthen our presence in Inverness was based upon the wealth of local expertise in the IT and finance sectors. The area also has excellent transport facilities which make it feasible for many large companies to now operate as split sites."

Inverness-based Iain Scott, who is Westminster Health Care's regional director said: "There are a high number of skilled potential employees in the local area and Inverness enjoys good communication links with the rest of the UK. The direct flight from Inverness airport to Gatwick means that there is easy access to the company's main corporate offices at Leatherhead in Surrey."

Westminster Health Care have also been presented with a certificate of commitment to Investors in People (IiP), an award which promotes the development of staff and skills. Welcoming the company to the IiP programme, INE chief executive Bill Sylvester said: "Attracting inward investors like Westminster Health Care is a key part of our technology and healthcare initiative which is aimed at building on the excellent facilities we have in the area based around Raigmore and other bio-medical and healthcare organisations.

"We are delighted that the company have committed to IiP and we look forward to presenting them with their IiP award in due course."

Westminster Healthcare join a host of other businesses and organisations at the Beechwood Business Park including the North of Scotland Water Authority, Scottish Homes, Scottish Tourist Board and BT.

There is also a considerable health related presence within the Beechwood Business Park with Inverness Medical who employ over 500 staff; Highland Health Board; Highlands and Islands Research Institute; Psychiatric Diagnostics Ltd and the Highland Psychiatric Research Foundation.

Since its opening 8 years ago, INE and HIE have invested over £11 million in businesses in the Park.