Edinburgh Sick Kids set for a new name with new hospital nearing completion

Edinburgh-based charity the Sick Kids Friends Foundation has announced it is rebranding under the new name Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC).

The move coincides with the decision to rename the current Royal Hospital for Sick Children as the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) when it relocates to a new purpose-built building in early 2018.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of the ECHC, said: “Through the amazing support and fundraising of many, many people, we’ve supported the work of the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for 25 years. But with the hospital changing to a new name, we felt this would be a positive opportunity to also update our own name.

“Aside from our name, nothing will change in terms of the work that we do. We continue to be a grant giving organisation which exists to transform the experiences of children and young people in hospital so that they can be a child first and a patient second.

“We give out on average £1.5million a year to ensure that children’s lives are less interrupted by illness, they are less scared of hospital and that their families are also comforted and supported by us.”

The charity’s rebrand will better reflect the changes at the new hospital, which will now treat young people up to the age of 16 - previously it was up to 13 years - as well as providing child and adolescent mental health services.

The charity recently reported it had had a record-breaking 2016, smashing its target for donations to soar past the £1.8m mark, as well as paying out £3,180,815 in grants – the largest amount ever paid in one year.

The majority of the £3million donated has been used to fund a package of art and therapeutic design projects at the new hospital at Little France.

The hospital's also set for a new name - The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

Brian Houston, Chair of NHS Lothian said: “I am delighted to announce that in view of the changes to the age range of patients and to reflect modern medicine, our new name for the affectionately known ‘Sick Kids’ will be The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh (RHCYP).

“Our vision for our new facility is to create a centre of excellence founded in Lothian’s finest traditions of healthcare and medical research. It will allow us to deliver the highest standards of care and pioneer new treatments. It will provide a safe, comforting and healing environment which promotes recovery and meets the needs of patients and their carers.

“Not only does the move to the new location at Little France allow us to join up the dots between our children and adult services on one campus, but it gave us the opportunity to choose a name that represents the services that will be provided from the new hospital without losing the proud history of the ‘Sick Kids’.”