The project to create Scotland’s largest children’s hospital reaches a significant milestone as NHS Lothian has taken ownership of the £150m Royal Hospital for Children & Young People, the new department of clinical neurosciences, and child and adolescent mental health services. 

With the transfer of ownership, the project as a whole is on track to open on Monday 15th July 2019.  

The new hospital will house 62 departments from the existing Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Sciennes in Edinburgh; the Department of Clinical Neurosciences which moves across the city from the Western General Hospital; and child and adolescent mental health services which relocates from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside.  

Patients and services will be moved across to the new facilities over ten days prior to opening after a five-month commissioning period which will see the building turned into a “fully functioning state of the art hospital”. 

Janice Mackenzie, clinical director on the re-provision project, said: “The commissioning period is really important. Everything from furniture to sophisticated high tech equipment needs to be delivered, installed, and tested. Staff orientation and training is also a vital part of this process and they are eager to get going. It’s going to be an exciting time.” 

Home-from-home accommodation for families is also provided at the new site, thanks to the Ronald McDonald house charity. The largest commissioned art and therapeutic design programme in Europe will also be on display, made possible through £5m of charitable funding.  

Deputy chief executive, Jim Crombie, said:  

“We are delighted to be moving in the summer. It has taken hard work from a great many people to get to this stage and I am thrilled that we now have possession of the building and can begin to make it ready to receive its first patients.

“It has undeniably been a long road but we have been very clear from the outset that we wanted the best facility possible for patients, families and staff and that is what they shall get. Huge thanks go to everyone for their extraordinary patience and commitment to this vision”.