NHS Dumfries and Galloway has bought a site near the town’s bypass at Garroch Farm for a new 350-bed general hospital.
Mott MacDonald’s Glasgow office has been signed up to provide technical and procurement advisory services throughout the project development.
Procurement is expected to get underway in the summer, but the final decision on the business case will not be known until the end of the year.
The design for the new hospital is being drawn up by architect Keppie Design.
If all goes to plan the contract to build a new Dumfries and Galloway hospital will be let in Autumn 2014.