The world is watching Lothian’s health archives

AN organisation which uncovers and preserves old documents relating to the city’s health history received hundreds of inquiries from across the world last year, it has emerged.

In its annual report, the Lothian Health Services Archive said there had been around 600 notes from people in places as far away as Canada, South Korea and the United States.

People interested in researching their own family history make up the majority of correspondents, archivists said, while others studying the history of medicine had also made inquiries.

The organisation, which is funded by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University, added that the Royal Edinburgh psychiatric hospital was the most popular search.

A spokeswoman said: “These statistics from 2011 will help shape our work, such as cataloguing priorities, for the coming year.”