A community campaign has helped to raise more than £1m to pay for a new kidney dialysis treatment centre in Stonehaven.

The board of NHS Grampian has approved the new unit, which will be part of the Kincardine Community Hospital.

It means many patients will no longer have to travel to Aberdeen and can continue their treatment closer to home.

Labour MSP for north east Scotland, Lewis Macdonald, said : "I'm delighted with this decision, it has taken some time to get to this stage but NHS Grampian has been supportive all the way through.

"Clearly a lot of this is down to the voluntary fundraising which has happened, patients and families who have made that happen, but its great that now we can look forward to this new unit opening and providing this service in the south of Aberdeenshire."

He added: "A big fundraising effort, fantastic effort by local people, by patients, their families, by those who have got behind them, by people who have left requests to NHS Grampian which have been used for this purpose and by NHS Grampian board getting behind them, making the commitment and decision to make it happen."