The project will be located alongside the Ayrshire Central Hospital site in Irvine and cost £47m to build, funded by the Scottish non-profit distributing model.

The facility will provide 206 beds for people who need a level of care and rehabilitation that can only be provided by a stay in hospital.

Over the next couple of months, NHS Ayrshire & Arran staff will work with Balfour Beatty’s design team to finalise the detailed design of the development.

Construction is expected to start this summer 2014 with the new facility due to open in spring 2016.

Balfour Beatty beat shortlisted rivals Morgan Sindall and Bilfinger Berger to the project.

Derek Lindsay, director of finance and senior responsible officer for the project, said: “After a robust procurement process, we are confident that we have made the right decision.

“Balfour Beatty’s final tender offers a high quality design and therapeutic environment.”

Kerry Alexander, NPD Programme Director at Scottish Futures Trust said: “Being able to appoint a preferred bidder in little over a year is practically unheard of but is what makes NPD unique.

“The new hospital will be one of the largest building projects in the area and will be a massive boost to many local businesses when construction starts.”