Century of care comes to an end as Eastern General closes

Although there has been a gradual transfer of services from the hospital over the past decade, the last remaining staff have now left the building and the doors have been closed to patients for good.

The move paves the way for the demolition of the Seafield Road hospital to make way for 200 private homes, as well as housing association properties.

Health bosses also plan to build a residential home for 60 pensioners as part of a 20 million project to provide four new care homes in Edinburgh by October.

Mike Barfoot, of the Lothian Health Services Archive, said the hospital's demolition would mark a sad day for the city.

Mr Barfoot, who has been responsible for the preservation of thousands of health service records in the Lothians, said there was always a sense of public loss when hospitals were closed.

He said: "There's a huge amount of sentiment and feeling regarding these places, and I think this is so because the hospital is the thing that connects the community to its health service.

"The only time these hospitals were hated was when they were poor houses. But when they became municipal hospitals, and particularly after 1948 after the people's health service was established, there was tremendous loyalty to these places."

Thousands of babies were born at the Eastern, and the hospital also became a centre of excellence for respiratory diseases.

However, the majority of wards, including the maternity unit, were closed down in the late 1990s as part of moves to transfer services to modern buildings.

The last people to leave during the past few weeks worked for a renowned department headed up by prosthetics engineer David Gow - the inventor of the world's first bionic arm.

Patients who need prosthetic limbs will now visit a 7.5m purpose-built facility, which will bring together a raft of services for disabled people in the grounds of the Astley Ainslie hospital.

Mr Gow said: "Now the artificial limb services and wheelchair services are being brought together in what will be a one-stop shop for both children and adults."

The hospital was built in 1906 by Leith Parish Council as a combined poor house and hospital, and archives show it was then a place feared by the community.

Its function changed during the First World War when it was taken over by the military, which introduced an operating theatre and nurses' home. Further improvements during the Second World War allowed the hospital to cope with emergencies such as bombing raids.

But it was in 1948, when the National Health Service was established and assumed responsibility for the Eastern General, that the hospital became the hub of health services in the east of Edinburgh.

NHS Lothian's director of facilities John Jack said: "It is proposed that the Eastern General Hospital building will be demolished over the next few months. The site is being considered for a care home and residential properties, including affordable housing."

Smart thinking as mobility services move

IT is 30 years since mobility and rehabilitation services were established in Edinburgh and bosses believe the move to their 7.5 million purpose-built centre is a fitting way to celebrate.

After the new Smart Centre becomes fully operational over the next few weeks, it will see 25,000 patients a year through its doors. Previously, if patients who were admitted to the Astley Ainslie Hospital to be rehabilitated after illness, falls or accidents needed a prosthetic limb, they would need to travel across the city to visit experts at the Eastern General Hospital.

And although wheelchair assessments were carried out at the Astley Ainslie, the service was being delivered in cramped conditions that were shared with other departments.

Now all services will be delivered in the 4000-square metre Smart Centre, which has been designed to incorporate features that patients wanted such as a meeting and counselling room.

NHS Lothian's chief operating officer for Primary Care, Murray Duncanson, said: "The new purpose-built centre is equipped with up-to-the-minute facilities and we are delighted that mobility and rehabilitation services will now provide an even better service from the new building."

Auxiliary nurse remembers the good times

AUXILIARY nurse Margaret Crowe worked at the Eastern General Hospital for 25 years and has fond memories of her time there.

The 64-year-old started work in 1974 and stayed until the surgical wards she worked on were transferred to the old Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Lauriston Place.

Mrs Crowe, of Kekewich Avenue, Craigentinny, also gave birth to her four children in the hospital's maternity ward and said she was saddened when she heard it was closing.

She said: "In the early days, as auxiliaries we did a lot of things nurses do now like change drips and check blood pressure but later our duties changed and we became more involved with stock and cleaning.

"It was an absolute gem of a hospital because we all worked so well together."