The new hospital, being developed by East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Lothian, will deliver a modern new hospital for local people.

The Keppie Design penned development will bring more services back to the county which are currently located in other areas and will provide a sixty per cent increase in inpatient beds.

Work is expected to start on the new hospital by late 2016 and it will welcome its first patients in 2019.

Morrison Construction has been named preferred contractor by hub South East Scotland on behalf of NHS Lothian for the £72 million project.

Morrison will deliver the 23,000 square metre facility and the company’s facilities management business has been appointed preferred bidder to provide ongoing hard facilities maintenance and lifecycle management to the hospital.

Morrison’s parent company Galliford Try said this contract will be worth around £32m over the 25-year period. Galliford will also be investing and providing management services to the company which will be set up to fund the project.

Chief executive Peter Truscott said: “This appointment demonstrates the capabilities of our combined offering across construction, facilities management and investments and we look forward to working with hub South East Scotland and NHS Lothian to create the top class facilities the local public deserve.”

East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership’s, chief officer, David Small, said: “I am delighted that we have received planning permission for this exciting project.

“These plans will see a purpose-built hospital developed, helping improve the quality of care for people in East Lothian.

“It will also bring a significant number of services back to the county, so that people can be treated closer to their homes and in their community.

“The planning process has involved lots of consultation with local people, as is only right with a project of this nature. We are now focused on finalising our business case for the project and we will have this to the Scottish Government for approval by this summer.”

East Lothian Integration Joint Board (IJB), Chair, Councillor Donald Grant, added: “This is a great day for local people. The community hospital is a reality – a new fit-for-purpose 21st Century facility will be opening its doors in the next three to four years. Roodlands and Herdmanflat hospitals have done a great job for many, many years but, with our growing and changing population profile, things have to change.

“It’s the vision of the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership in action – best heath, best care, best value for our communities – and I, for one, am looking forward to its arrival. I’d like to thank David and his team for all the very hard work they have put in to get us this far.”

East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Lothian have been working with development partner Hub South East Scotland to develop this new project.

Chief executive of Hub South East Scotland, Paul McGirk, said: “We are excited to reach another key milestone, allowing us to further progress the development, design and construction of this facility.

“We look forward to continuing this successful working relationship, helping NHS Lothian and the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, deliver on their strategic aims, and providing modern, fit-for-purpose healthcare facilities for local residents.”

The Outline Business Case for the project is now being finalised and this will set out exact costs, hospital services and timescales for the project.

This will be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval later in 2016.