All children’s services presently located at Sciennes, including A&E, are to move to the HLM Architects-designed Royal Hospital for Children and Young People located next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France.

The new facilities are already home to the majority of the Children’s Outpatient services and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN), which both migrated to the Little France site in July 2020. Earlier this year, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient facilities and some outpatient services also moved to the new hospital.

The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People will deliver local, regional and national services in some of the most modern and best-designed healthcare facilities in the world. With the new facilities connected to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, paediatric care, specialist neonatal care, neurosciences and dedicated Emergency Departments for both adults and children now all located on the same site. This reduces the need for emergency transfers between hospitals and ensures that the NHS Lothian teams can share skills and expertise for the benefit of all patients.

Lorraine Robertson, director, HLM Architects, said: “We are very excited to see this new state-of-the-art hospital become fully operational. The building has been designed as a flexible, modern space built entirely around patient needs across its new wards, theatres, and therapy and emergency departments, greatly enhancing the healthcare provisions available to children and young people across Edinburgh and beyond.”

Calum Campbell, chief executive, NHS Lothian, said: “Our wish for this project was for it to be designed in collaboration with patients and their families, as well as our staff, and the facilities that are available within the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People are testament to the success of that approach.

“The spaces are welcoming, but also fun; intended to put children and young people at ease at a time when they might otherwise be frightened, unsure or upset. The designed space is complemented by the inclusion of the latest clinical thinking and technology, enabling our teams to provide the best treatment and care for our patients not just now, but for years to come.”

The full opening of the site on March 23 follows a commissioning stage, where the remaining facilities were extensively checked, equipment was tested, and staff orientation took place.

Ms Susan Goldsmith, director of finance and executive lead for the project, said: “Many teams and individuals have helped with this incredibly important project and I would like to take a moment to express my thanks to them all for their diligence and commitment.

“I am delighted that the remaining services will soon move to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. It will be a fantastic moment to see the building fully open and for our patients to benefit from the amazing facilities that are on offer.”