Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh

The Royal Victoria Hospital was a health facility at Craigleith Road in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was formerly the main Medicine for the Older Adult assessment and rehabilitation hospital for the north of Edinburgh. It closed in 2012, then briefly reopened to ease pressure on acute beds in the region. The facility finally closed in early 2017 and was not in use when a fire caused damage to buildings in May 2017. It was managed by NHS Lothian.

For other hospitals with the same name (see list), see Victoria Hospital.

Royal Victoria Hospital
NHS Lothian
Main entrance to the hospital
Location within Edinburgh
Geography
LocationEdinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates55°57′30″N 3°14′00″W
Organisation
Care systemNHS Scotland
Services
Emergency departmentNo
History
Opened1894
Closed2017
Links
ListsHospitals in Scotland

History
The Royal Arms above an entrance to the admin block

The hospital was established by Robert William Philip on the site at Craigleith as the Victoria Hospital for Consumption in 1894.[1] The existing Craigleith house was converted[2] and a series of butterfly plan pavilions were erected.[3] There were covered sheltered in the grounds and continuous open-window treatment was also administered.[4] In 1904 it became the Royal Victoria Hospital for Consumption with King Edward VII giving patronage.[5] The pavilions were demolished in the late 20th century.[3]

In a 1968 a new purpose-built brick building was completed by Reiach, Hall and Partners.[3] With a 247-bed capacity, it became the main geriatric assessment and rehabilitation hospital for the north of Edinburgh.[6]

In June 2012 the Medicine for the Elderly services were transferred from the Royal Victoria Hospital to a new purpose-built facility known as the Royal Victoria Building at the Western General Hospital.[7]

Although the facility closed briefly in 2012, bed shortages elsewhere meant that the health board opted to continue providing services at this site.[8] One ward reopened at the end of November and another a week later.[9] By early 2013 the health board expected the facility to be in use for at least two further years.[10]

In 2014, the health board considered proposals to demolish the hospital and three others, with a view to replacing these facilities with care villages which would consist of buildings more suited to social care.[11] The facility finally closed in early 2017 and was not in use when a fire caused damage to buildings in May 2017.[12]

Services

Within the Medical Unit there was an Acute Assessment Ward, a two-ward Trauma Unit that specialised in falls and orthopaedic rehabilitation, a Parkinson’s Disease Unit, a rehabilitation ward with an interest in delirium, and a Stroke Rehabilitation Unit.[13]

References
  1. "Tales from the Archive: Treatments for Tuberculosis - The Edinburgh Scheme". www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk. Lothian Health Services Archive. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. "Basic site details: Craigleith House". www.scottisharchitects.org.uk. Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. "Craigleith Road, Royal Victoria Hospital, Administration Block LB51008". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  4. "Sanatoria for Consumptives". Sydney Mail. 30 March 1904. p. 806. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. Smith, Colin (5 February 2016). "The Impact of Patronage in the First Few Decades of the Creation of the Victorian Hospital". lhsa.blogspot.co.uk. Lothian Health Services Archive. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  6. "Massive revamp of hospitals across Lothians hit by delays". The Scotsman. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  7. "Royal Victoria Building". NHS Lothian. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  8. "Axed Royal Victoria Hospital reopened to cope with bed shortages". The Scotsman. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  9. "70 new beds planned at ERI to ease pressure". The Scotsman. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  10. Sanderson, Daniel (30 March 2013). "Royal Victoria to stay open for two more years". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  11. "Hospitals facing care village axe". Edinburgh News. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  12. King, Diane (23 May 2017). "Sixty firefighters tackle hospital fire throughout night". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  13. "Royal Victoria Building: Full Business Case" (PDF). NHS Lothian. p. 26. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
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