Two young patients today marked the start of construction at a major new hospital development in Edinburgh.
Brother and sister, Beau Rendall (age 11) and Jos Rendall (age 9) joined their mum, Tracy Rendall in cutting the first turf at the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.
The £150 million building, which is anticipated to open in autumn 2017, will see services from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service co-located in the new building.
It will have 233 beds and 10 theatres while 11 neurology beds will be added to the critical care department within the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as part of the project.
The hospital will adjoin the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via a link building connecting both child and adult Emergency Departments.
Jos and Beau have been regular patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh throughout their lives.
Beau said: “The nurses and doctors at the hospital are great and I’m really excited to see what the new hospital will look like inside when it’s built. The pictures of it look really good.”
Jos added: “I’m very excited and can’t wait to see the new hospital being built. I think it looks brilliant and it will make a big difference to all the boys and girls who use it.”
The six storey hospital will have a helipad on the roof, a large atrium with shops and a café, a skylight and a specifically designed family hotel.
Brian Houston, Chair, NHS Lothian said: “The start of this work is the culmination of many years of hard work and determination.
“We look forward with a great deal of excitement to seeing this new development taking shape over the coming years.
Mark Bradshaw of Macquarie Capital added: “It’s great that we have some current patients marking the event which will lead to significant benefits for the patients of the future.”
