Two young patients marked the start of construction at a major new hospital development in Edinburgh earlier this week.
Brother and sister, Beau (11) and Jos (9) Rendall from Edinburgh joined their mum, Tracy in cutting the first turf at the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
The £150 million building, which is anticipated to open in autumn 2017, will see services from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service co-located in a modern and high-quality setting.
The hospital will adjoin the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via a link building connecting both child and adult Emergency Departments.
IHS Lothian Ltd consisting of Macquarie Capital as sole sponsor and exclusive financial advisor, Brookfield Multiplex (Design and Build Contractor) and Bouygues E&S (Facilities Management provider) were appointed as the preferred bidder for the site in March 2014.
Jos and Beau have been regular patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh throughout their lives. Beau said, “The nurses and doctors at the hospital are great and I’m really excited to see what the new hospital will look like inside when it’s built. The pictures of it look really good.”
Jos added, “I’m very excited and can’t wait to see the new hospital being built. I think it looks brilliant and it will make a big difference to all the boys and girls who use it.”
The six storey hospital will have a helipad on the roof, a large atrium with shops and a café, a stunning skylight and a specifically designed family hotel.
Brian Houston, Chair, NHS Lothian said, “The start of this work is the culmination of many years of hard work and determination. We look forward with a great deal of excitement to seeing this new development taking shape over the coming years. The new building will bring many benefits for our patients, their families and our staff, not least a purpose-built facility designed to meet their needs.
“Throughout the extensive planning and design process we have taken into account what really matters to people, and with the invaluable input of patients and their families, our charity partners and staff we will have a building we can be proud of.”
Mark Bradshaw of Macquarie Capital said, “Macquarie Capital and IHS Lothian are very excited about the breaking ground on the new hospital, a major milestone for any new project. It’s great that we have some current patients marking the event which will lead to significant benefits for the patients of the future.”
The new hospital will have a total of 233 beds and 10 theatres. 11 neurology beds will be added to the critical care department within the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as part of the project.
