Graham Construction has been selected to develop a new eye hospital for NHS Lothian.

The £45 million capital scheme, procured through the Health Facilities Scotland Framework, will replace the existing Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh city centre, which opened in 1969.

The Initial Agreement for the major project has already been agreed by Scottish Government and a special meeting is being held today to present and discuss the next steps, which will allow NHS Lothian, Graham Construction and other bodies to create a full business case.

Jacquie Campbell, NHS Lothian chief officer and executive lead for the project, said: “I am very excited about the developments being made for the new eye hospital, and I speak for the rest of the project team when I say, we are delighted with the announcement of the successful appointments so far. We will spend today with some of our key stakeholders to share our vision, culture and goals for the project, so that we can start turning the Initial Agreement into a reality.”

The new project will be located close to the Royal Infirmary on the growing Edinburgh BioQuarter campus. The Edinburgh BioQuarter is a collaborative partnership between NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise, University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh City Council. By providing ophthalmology services from a collaborative environment that allows industry, academia, and the NHS to work side-by-side to innovate and collaborate, will ultimately improve patient care and treatment.

It is expected the new hospital will support the delivery of a quality eye service to approximately 84,000 outpatients per year and will carry out nearly 12,000 operations per year by 2030.

Senior staff from Graham Construction and members of NHS Lothian’s project team held a day-long workshop of presentations and discussions to launch the project and celebrate Graham Construction’s official appointment.

Chris MacLeod, framework director for Graham Construction, said: “We are privileged to be working with NHS Lothian and its stakeholders in the development of the new Edinburgh eye hospital and in equipping it to offer the highest quality of care to the region and beyond for years to come.

“Graham Construction has significant experience in delivering modern healthcare facilities throughout Scotland, and we look forward to the successful completion of this important project.”

The successful architect for the project is set to be NORR Consultants Ltd.