Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow

The Royal Hospital for Children is a 256-bed hospital specialising in paediatric healthcare. The hospital is part of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and is built on the site of the former Southern General Hospital, in Govan and opened in June 2015. The hospital replaced the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill.

Background

The Royal Hospital for Children and the adjacent Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were designed by Nightingale Associates,^[1] with construction carried out by Brookfield Multiplex, who previously built Wembley Stadium.^[2] In 2008, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde submitted a business case to the Scottish Government^[3] for a new acute hospital to replace facilities at the Western Infirmary and Victoria Infirmary, and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow.^[4] Designs were unveiled for the hospital campus in November 2009,^[5] with public funding being approved.^[6] The new hospital was to be built on the site of the Southern General Hospital. In January 2010, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde closed the Queen Mother's Maternity Hospital, with maternity services relocating to the Southern.^[7]

At the time of construction the hospital campus was Scotland's largest ever publicly funded NHS construction project,^[8] costing £842 million to build.^[9] it was built on and around site of the old Southern General Hospital, with construction starting in early 2011.^[10] Originally to be called Royal Hospital for Sick Children,^[11] it was renamed Royal Hospital for Children by Queen Elizabeth II.^[12][13] It was originally hoped the new hospital would be ready by 2014,^[14] but medical services did not start to be transferred until 10 June 2015.^[15]

Services

The Royal Hospital for Children, while retaining a somewhat separate identity from the QEUH, is adjoined and integrated with the adult hospital. With 256 beds and 5 floors, it replaced the Royal Hospital for Sick Children located in Yorkhill, Glasgow.^[16]

The children’s hospital will provide a large number of specialist services to the West of Scotland and the wider population of Scotland in addition to the full range of secondary care services to people of Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Specialist services include: cardiology and cardiac surgery, renal and bone marrow transplantation. For a number of these specialised services, the children’s hospital is recognised as the sole provider in Scotland.

Design

The design includes a part covered roof garden^[17] where young patients can enjoy a range of activities in the fresh air including a stage where theatrical productions can be held. There will also be the ability for children to be brought out to the roof garden in their beds. The hospital has a 47-seat cinema, which was built in partnership with MediCinema costing around 250 thousand pounds to install.^[18] In addition to the 47 seats the facility serves patients in wheelchairs and beds.^[19]

The new children’s hospital is a mix of four-bedded and single-bedded accommodation.^[20]

References