East Lothian Community Hospital
Find out more about the Green Health projects and activities that are taking place on site
East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH) is a three story hospital based on the grounds of the former Roodlands hospital site in Haddington. The hospital includes all services provided previously in Roodlands and Herdmanflat Hospital.
The new build is also able to support patients previously in Haddington Care Home, Crookston Care Home, and Midlothian Community Hospital.
The hospital is surrounded by beautiful greenspace, and a key part of our art and environmental design strategy for the new hospital, was to ensure that these outdoor spaces were incorporated as part of a pioneering, holistic approach to patient-care.
Discover walking routes from the hospital with the Go Jauntly
Find new walking tours based on your location. Simple photo guides help you navigate while nifty tips point out things of interest. Sign up to walking challenges or enjoy green routes from A to B or circular walking routes. Take pictures, add details that other people may find useful and share with the growing community.
What’s happening on site
Our East Lothian Community Hospital gardens project has reached an exciting milestone …. and we are delighted to announce that work has commenced on the redevelopment of the adult mental health and palliative care outdoor spaces.
Imagine tranquil gardens offering a haven for patients receiving end-of-life care or struggling with mental health challenges. The focus is on private areas for quiet reflection and time with loved ones, fragrant plants and flowers to stimulate the senses, promote wellbeing and encourage more wildlife into the gardens, and accessible pathways to ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
Construction began in mid January and is progressing well, with the build expected to finish by early March, followed by planting. This puts the gardens on track for an Easter opening. We can’t wait!
With thanks to the Blythe Trust whose funding has made these garden projects possible.
We are progressing our work on redesigning and refurbishing the gardens outside wards 1 & 2 to create a safe outdoor area where patients, staff and visitors can have access to nature and fresh air thanks to generous funding from the Blythe Family Trust Foundation.
We have commissioned specialist landscapers who have engaged with staff and patients on the design so they could understand any specific needs as well as challenges for developing these spaces. The focus is on private areas for quiet reflection and time with loved ones, fragrant plants and flowers to stimulate the senses, promote wellbeing and encourage more wildlife into the gardens, and accessible pathways to ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors.
We have been working with Dr Sally Gouldstone, botanist, ecologist and founder of Seilich Botanics, to look at the space around the hospital with a view to increasing biodiversity and encouraging more insects and birds to the area.
