Full opening date for Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital revealed

Edinburgh's new Sick Kids hospital will fully open on March 23, after it was confirmed all remaining work on the site has been completed and checked.

The Little France project has been hit by a series of delays, most notably when late checks found ventilation problems just days before it was due to open in the summer of 2019.

Since then the majority of the children’s outpatient services and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences have both moved from the old Sciennes Road building.

A full opening date was recently pushed back into the Spring because of the covid crisis, but now the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman says it's ready.

She said: "I’m pleased to confirm that following rigorous checks and validation of remedial works, all remaining clinical services will move into the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People from March 22.

“I am grateful to all those involved in delivering a project that has resulted in a safe hospital for the patients and their families, and to NHS Lothian staff for their dedication and professionalism throughout this project, and the additional challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The safety and well-being of all patients and their families has always been, and will remain our top priority, which is why I took the decision to postpone the move of services until we had assurance that these services could be delivered in the safest way possible.”

The new site includes a children's emergency department, 242 beds, 10 theatres and wards as well as outdoor play areas.

Calum Campbell, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian said, "I am delighted to announce that the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People will fully open on March 23, bringing world class clinical facilities to the people of Lothian.

“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 troubled project to build the new hospital is being examined in a public inquiry.

Ms Susan Goldsmith, Director of Finance and Executive Lead for the project explained that a huge amount of work had taken place to get to this point. Ms Goldsmith 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.”