The outline business case sets out NHS Lothian’s vision for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences to be built in Edinburgh and finished by 2017 next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France.
The building will provide a replacement for the current children’s hospital at Sciennes, the Department of Clinical Neurosciences currently based at the Western General Hospital and new facilities for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) which will move from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
The project is due to be completed in 2017 and is part of the NPD and hub initiative pipeline, supported by the Scottish Futures Trust, which will see £750 million of investment in health facilities across Scotland.
“The benefits of having children’s, maternity and adult services on the same site are well documented. This new building will add to the existing facilities at Little France to create a centre of excellence, bringing paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences and A&E together. The proximity to the University facilities and the BioQuarter will also improve opportunities for partnership working and bring research to the bedside.
Negotiations over the site for the new building, currently car park B at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, have delayed the project but these were completed in August. Approval of the outline business case will see NHS Lothian take the next step in the process to select a private sector partner to design, build, finance and maintain the new facility.
Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair, NHS Lothian, said:
“Having the outline business case approved is a significant step forward in this important project.
“We are working closely with the Scottish Futures Trust to plan the procurement process and expect to advertise the project in the Official Journal of the European Union before the end of the year.”
The new facilities will serve the Eastern region of Scotland and are positioned alongside existing healthcare facilties to provide optimum coherence in the services provided.