Mental hospital revamp to cut bed numbers

THE number of beds in the city's mental hospital is to be cut to 75 under plans devised by NHS Lothian.

Health chiefs will gradually rebuild the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside over the next decade.

As part of that work, it is understood wards will contain fewer beds, bringing the total number down from around 125. It is understood that the move towards the reduction in acute beds ties in with the policy to, where possible, rehabilitate psychiatric patients in a community setting rather than a hospital one.

In addition to the Morningside unit, St John's Hospital in Livingston will also be able to accommodate 18 patients under the plans.

Patients and staff are accepting of the shift, though there was some concern that there may not be enough wards to cater for the range in severity of admissions that the hospital experiences.

Sources said that with fewer wards, the chances of challenging patients being housed beside more moderate cases would be increased.