Construction of a major new healthcare facility in Edinburgh is set to start after the financial contracts were agreed.
The news follows the approval of the Full Business Case by the Scottish Government and financial close on the project.
The building designs have been heavily influenced by staff, patients and families and, in addition to offering a modern, light and spacious environment, will also enhance the clinical services we deliver
The new £150m co-located building will see services from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service brought together in a modern and high-quality setting at Little France.
Construction work will start over the course of the next few weeks and the new building, which will adjoin the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, is expected to open in autumn 2017.
The six-storey building, including a basement level, will have a large atrium with a shop and café, a stunning skylight linking both hospital entrances, a helipad on the roof, and a link building adjoining adult and paediatric emergency departments. It will also bring with it an increase in single rooms with en-suite facilities and a range of new technology.
Scottish Health Secretary, Shona Robison, said: “This is a momentous date for this project and I’m personally very pleased that work will soon be about to begin on the new co-located Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
The new development brings paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences, and adult and children’s emergency departments all together in one place, making access to services much easier for patients and health professionals alike
“The new development brings paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences, and adult and children’s emergency departments all together in one place, making access to services much easier for patients and health professionals alike.”
She added: “The Scottish Government is investing over £2billion in Scotland’s health infrastructure over the spending review period, with this development being one of many that demonstrate the Scottish Government’s commitment to continually-improving health services. The investment in this development will ensure the hospital campus at Little France can continue to develop as a modern hub of research and medical practice.”
Susan Goldsmith, finance director at NHS Lothian, added: “We are delighted to have reached this point and now look forward with anticipation to seeing the new facility taking shape over the coming years.
“The building designs have been heavily influenced by staff, patients and families and, in addition to offering a modern, light and spacious environment, will also enhance the clinical services we deliver.”
This is the first acute hospital to be delivered under the Scottish Non-Profit Distributing (NDP) financing model. Macquarie Capital has partnered with Brookfield Multiplex Europe and Bouygues Energies & Services, forming the IHS Lothian consortium, to finance and arrange delivery of the facility.
