The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is a hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, Scotland, specialising in paediatric healthcare. It is commonly referred to simply as the Sick Kids. The hospital provides care for children from birth to around 13 years of age, including a specialist Accident and Emergency

Emergency department

An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...

 facility. The hospital is located on Sciennes Road in the Sciennes

Sciennes

Sciennes is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, just outside the city centre to the south of the Meadows, with Newington to the east. Sciennes shares a Community Council with Marchmont, to the west....

 area of Edinburgh's South Side.

History

The hospital opened in 1860, and received a royal charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

 in 1863, when it moved to the purpose-built Meadowside House. In 1890 an outbreak of typhoid forced a temporary removal to Morningside

Morningside

-Places:Morningside may be one of the following place names:Australia*Morningside, QueenslandCanada*Toronto:**Morningside, Toronxto, a neighbourhood in Scarborough**Morningside Avenue , a street in Scarborough...

, and Meadowside House was subsequently sold. Plans for a new hospital were put in hand, to designs by George Washington Browne

George Washington Browne

Sir George Washington Browne FRIBA was a Scottish architect. He was born in Glasgow, and trained there and in London...

. The Sciennes Road building was opened on 31 October 1895 by Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom

The Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...

. The hospital celebrated its 150th birthday in 2010.

Future

In 2005, NHS Lothian

NHS Lothian

NHS Lothian is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Mid Lothian and West Lothian areas. Its headquarters are at Waverley Gate, Edinburgh-Headquarters:...

 decided to develop plans to move the Sick Kids from its present site to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France

Little France

Little France is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is on the A7.The area falls within the parish of Liberton, and acquired its name from members of the entourage brought to Scotland from France by Mary, Queen of Scots, who took up residence there...

on the south-east edge of the city. The new building is due to open in 2013.

External links

• Royal Hospital for Sick Children, NHS Lothian web site