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Going to Hospital NHS Lothian

The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion Temporary Closure

The Eye Pavilion is closing for 6 months for essential maintenance works. Find out how this affects you.
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Urgent repair work will have to be carried out at The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion from the end of October 2024.

Extensive work is required on the plumbing system, meaning that all patient appointments which were scheduled to take place from October 28 will now be moved to other NHS Lothian facilities.

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Why is The Eye Pavilion Temporarily Closing?

Extensive work on the plumbing system is required and will begin at the end of October and will involve the removal of two waste pipes as well as asbestos material from a sealed cavity where the pipework is located. It is anticipated that the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion building will be vacated for around six months.

The decision has been made to move to other locations temporarily in order to protect patients, staff and visitors as the work can be carried out more speedily and safely if the building is vacant for the duration.

Where are Services Going?

Services will be distributed across five locations in NHS Lothian – St John’s Hospital, Livingston, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, East Lothian Community Hospital and the Lauriston Building which is adjacent to the Eye Pavilion.

Inpatient services and day surgery appointments will be located at St John’s, while referrals for emergency ophthalmology cases will be treated at the Lauriston Building, a major outpatient centre which will also serve as temporary home to many of the Eye Pavilion’s clinics.

Our teams are working hard to minimise disruption and to ensure that inpatient and outpatient appointments will continue and patients continue to be seen and treated throughout this period.

I Have an Appointment Booked. What Should I Do?

You do not need to do anything differently. Patients are being contacted by letter, text, telephone, or a combination of these, with all the details of your new appointment.

Those who already have appointments booked for dates from the end of October will be contacted by letter, text or both in good time to arrange their new appointments, starting with patients who have appointments in the week beginning Monday October 28.

New Locations for Eye Pavilion Services

ServiceNew Location
Acute Referral Centre (ARC)Lauriston Building
BotoxSt John’s Hospital
CataractsSt John’s Hospital
CornealSt John’s Hospital
Inpatients & Day CasesSt John’s Hospital
Diabetics Eye DiseaseLauriston Building
General OphthalmologyLauriston Building
GlaucomaLauriston Building
Macular & IVTEast Lothian Community Hospital and St John’s Hospital
Medical RetinalLauriston Building
Neuro-ophthalmologyDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) at the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People
Nurse-led CystsSt John’s Hospital
Paediatric OutpatientsRoyal Hospital for Children & Young People
Records LibraryLauriston Building (Adults)
Royal Hospital for Children & Young People (Paediatrics)
Strabismus & DecompressionDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN)
TheatresSt John’s Hospital
UveitisSt John’s Hospital
Medical SecretariesLauriston Building
VRSt John’s Hospital
PharmacyLauriston Building
Laser ClinicsLauriston Building and St John’s Hospital
Waiting List Booking TeamWoodburn House temporarily, then Lauriston Building

Lauriston Building

Lauriston Place
Edinburgh
EH3 9EN

St John’s Hospital

Howden Road West
Howden
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 6PP

East Lothian Community Hospital

Alderston Road
Haddington
East Lothian
EH41 3PF

Royal Hospital for Children & Young People

50 Little France Crescent
Edinburgh
EH16 4TJ

How to Find Public Bus Routes to Your New Appointment Location

To plan your journey to St John’s Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, East Lothian Community Hospital, or the Lauriston Building, you can use the Lothian Buses Journey Planner (Please use ‘West Howden Road’ as your destination for St John’s Hospital). This tool provides detailed routes for both city and regional bus services, helping you find the best public transportation options from your home to your appointment.

In addition, please find an overview of the bus routes to each hospital site below.

St John’s Hospital

St John’s Hospital is served by Lothiancountry services providing local links within West Lothian and services to and from Edinburgh.

  • Service X27/X28: link between St John’s Hospital, Livingston Centre and Edinburgh. It also serves local West Lothian links to Bathgate, East Calder, Mid Calder and Calderwood.
  • Service X40: link between St John’s Hospital and the Royal Infirmary. It also offers an interchange at Gilmerton and Westside Plaza.
  • Service 72: local West Lothian links to Fauldhouse, Whitburn, Blackburn, Livingston, Uphall, Broxburn, Winchburgh.
  • Service 73: local West Lothian links to Bathgate and Blackburn.
  • Service 74: local West Lothian links to West Calder, Polbeth and Fauldhouse. This service does not directly serve St John’s Hospital as it starts and ends at Livingston The Centre however, every 74 bus continues as a service 73 (and vice versa) serving St John’s Hospital.

Royal Hospital for Children Edinburgh

  • Service 7: Newhaven, Leith, Old Town, Cameron Toll, Liberton and Gracemount to Royal Infirmary
  • Service 8: Muirhouse, Granton, Inverleith, Broughton, Old Town, Cameron Toll, Inch to Royal Infirmary
  • Service 21: Clovenstone, Drum Brae, Drylaw, Ferry Road, Leith, Lochend, Portobello, The Jewel and Greendykes to Royal Infirmary
  • Service 24: Muirhouse, Drylaw, Stockbridge, Princes Street, Lothian Road, Marchmont, Cameron Toll to Royal Infirmary
  • Service 33: Baberton, Westside Plaza, Sighthill, Gorgie, Haymarket, Princes Street, Old Town, Cameron Toll to Royal Infirmary. Continue to Danderhall, Sheriffhall Park&Ride and Millerhill.
  • Service 38: West Granton, Comely Bank, Craigleith, Murrayfield, Balgreen, Morningside, Blackford and Cameron Toll to Royal Infirmary.
  • Service 46: Musselburgh, Newcraighall, Greendykes to Royal Infirmary. Rosewell, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Sheriffhall Park&Ride Danderhall to Royal Infirmary.
  • Service 48: Musselburgh, Newcraighall, Greendykes to Royal Infirmary. Gorebridge, Mayfield, Dalkeith, Sheriffhall Park&Ride Danderhall to Royal Infirmary.
  • Service 49: Fort Kinnaird, Portobello, Lochend, Leith, Old Town, Cameron Toll to Royal Infirmary.
  • Service 400: Edinburgh Airport, Westside Plaza, Colinton, Oxgangs, Gracemout, Moredunvale to Royal Infirmary. Then continues to Fort Kinnaird.
  • Service X40: St John’s Hospital, Livingston, Mid Calder, Calderwood, Westside Plaza, non-stop via city by-pass, Gilmerton to Royal Infirmary.

East Lothian Community Hospital

EastCoastbuses services and EVE services serve Haddington, providing express links to and from Edinburgh alongside local links within East Lothian.

EastCoastbuses services are operating to Haddington, but do not stop directly outside the hospital. The nearest stop is at “Letham Drive” on West Road, just a short 10-minute walk away. However, EVE service 121 offers direct service to the hospital, with convenient connections available at Haddington High Street. There are also Prentice local services stopping outside the hospital. An EastCoastbuses County or CountyPLUS Day Ticket includes travel on both EastCoastbuses and EVE.

  • EastCoastbuses X6: Edinburgh City Centre, Meadowbank, Willowbrae, The Jewel, Wallyford, Tranent, macmerry to Haddington.
  • EastCoastbuses X7: Edinburgh City Centre, Meadowbank, Willowbrae, The Jewel, then direct via A1 to Haddington. Continues to East Linton and Dunbar.
  • EastCoastbuses 106: Fort Kinnaird, Musselburgh, Wallyford, Tranent, Macmerry to Haddington
  • EVE Service 121: North Berwick, Drem, Athelstaneford to Haddington.
  • EVE Service 123: Pencaitland, Gifford to Haddington.

All timetables for services listed above are available from the Lothian Buses website and customers can also reach out to the Customer Services department for any query on 0131 554 4494.