Health chiefs eye hospital merger plan

It is understood both the Astley Ainslie and the Royal Edinburgh would operate from the same site, based at the latter's sprawling location.

The move would allow a more compact facility to provide a range of services from the psychiatric hospital in Morningside, and free up lucrative space at the massive Astley Ainslie half a mile down the road.

NHS Lothian chiefs are in talks with people at both hospitals about the possibility of "whether their (Astley Ainslie's] services could be transferred to the new facility".

The Astley Ainslie is predominantly a rehabilitation hospital, but it has been suggested there could be less need for the scale of site it is currently on.

Outgoing medical director Dr Charles Swainson said that all NHS Lothian facilities, aside from the recently built ones, would be rebuilt or revamped within the next 20 years.

"The future could look very different for the Astley Ainslie," he said. "With the way healthcare is changing, rehabilitation is going to take place much more in the home."

Selling the Astley Ainslie site could help make a major impact on NHS Lothian's balance sheet as it is in one of Edinburgh's most sought-after areas, sandwiched between Morningside and Grange.

With the Royal Edinburgh being gradually replaced by modern buildings, fitting two hospitals on one site would not be much of a challenge.

One NHS Lothian source said: "In many ways this is a move that would make perfect sense. They're very close by and there is no shortage of land at the Royal Edinburgh.

"People may express initial concern at a rehab and psychiatric hospital sharing a home, but in reality that would not pose any additional challenges."

Dick Fitzpatrick, project manager for the Royal Edinburgh Hospital reprovision project, said: "We need modern facilities that will meet the needs of service providers and service users into the future. This is the only feasible way of delivering the new hospital in the current economic climate."

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