Morrison Construction has reached two key milestones on the £70 million East Lothian Community Hospital project, with the steel structure now complete and all factory-built bathroom pods delivered to the site.

The outline of the three-storey hospital re-development, undertaken by NHS Lothian in partnership with Hub South East Scotland Ltd, is clearly visible at the existing Roodlands hospital site in Haddington.

The steel frame for the 22,000sqm health facility was finished in August after works began on the structure once the Out-Patients department was completed in February.

In the same week, the final delivery of the 134 factory-built bathroom pods (each containing, a sink toilet and shower) arrived on site.

Morrison Construction Project Director Philip Galbraith said: "We are delighted to celebrate these milestones as construction continues to progress well on site.

"The programme for this project is phased, with different trades coordinated to work on sections of the building in a certain sequence. Currently, external walling and internal fit out are being undertaken at the far ends of the development while roofing works continue in the middle of the structure.

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"With the final bathroom pods delivered to site we will now be able to finish connecting these to the hospital rooms across the three floors of the development. The pods are being used for this project to save time and on site labour."

Richard Park, Hub South East's Operations Director said: "It's fantastic to see the progress being made on site on the East Lothian Community Hospital - our largest project under construction, and the biggest Hub deal signed to date in Scotland.

"After successfully delivering the new Outpatients department on time and on budget earlier this year, it's great to see the completion of the steel structure of the remaining phase. We're now another step closer to the overall Hospital becoming a reality and helping improve the healthcare facilities available to residents in East Lothian."

Alison MacDonald, Interim Chief Officer, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, added: "Construction of the new East Lothian Community Hospital has been underway in Haddington since the end of 2016. The work to date has seen the completion of a new car park and access road, new Out-Patients Department and the demolition of some of the unoccupied buildings, including East Fortune House.

"The completion of this framework is a pinnacle point of the construction progress as it allows you to see the scale of the rest of the new hospital.

"NHS Lothian and East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership continue to work closely with development partner Hub South East Scotland on the project and I am delighted with the progress the project is making."

Works on the hospital began in January 2017 with the Out-Patients department officially opened in March 2018.

The full programme of works for the hospital re-development should be complete by early 2020.

(MH/LM)