ROODLANDS in Haddington has been confirmed as the site for East Lothian’s long-awaited new community hospital – and the facility could be ready by late 2017.

Plans for the new hospital – on the site of the existing hopital at Roodlands, on the town’s Hospital Road – are expected to be with East Lothian Council within a matter of months.

Discussions for the new hospital have been ongoing for more than a decade.

But they took a massive step forward this week when the local authority confirmed it had received a Pre-Application Notice (PAN) from NHS Lothian.

Plans are set to be submitted to the local authority this summer, with work potentially starting in autumn next year and patients using the hospital in “late 2017”.

A series of public events showcasing the plans are being held next month, with the public given their first chance to see what the new hospital could look like.

NHS Lothian describes Roodlands Hospital as its“preferred location”.

Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, hailed the latest development.

He said: “The county has waited far too long for our new hospital, so I am delighted that a Pre-Application Notice has finally been submitted.

“I have constantly pressed health ministers for progress and this is progress towards East Lothian having a 21st-century health facility in place. “I will be keeping the pressure on though, because previous plans were well advanced ,and then ditched when the Scottish Government switched the funding to their NPD private finance model. “That cost us a five-year delay of a hospital which should have opened in 2012. “So, not quite three cheers yet, but at least one cheer for the application going in.” The hospital would be home to a range of services including inpatient continuing care beds, mental health inpatient beds, orthopedic and rehabilitation beds, as well as shared therapies, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietetics and music therapy. As is currently the case, there will be no A&E Department.

NHS Lothian is hosting community consultation events, from May 15 to 21.

These will help gather views about the look and feel of the building, and access to the hospital and its landscaping.

NHS Lothian, working with Hub South East Scotland, would then anticipate submitting a planning application for the project this summer.

Staff and service providers have already been involved in workshops over the past few months to develop the designs of the new hospital.

This work has involved deciding on locations for departments within the new facility.

Access to and from the site has also been carefully considered.

David Small, joint director, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are keen to hear views from service users, patients and the public about the latest proposals which will go to the council planning committee in the summer.

“So far we have listened to what people have had to say about the new development and it’s important to the success of the project that this continues as we move ahead.

“We would ask those interested in the development to come along and share their comments on the plans we have at this point.

“Senior members of the project team who are leading on the development will be able to answer any questions you have on the day.” Final proposals would be considered by East Lothian Council planning officials and the local authority’s planning committee, with a decision potentially by the end of the year.

Work is “anticipated” to start in autumn 2016, with the first patients using the new hospital by the end of the following year.

No estimated timeline is available for the phases of demolition at the hospital, which dates back to 1936.

Jan Wilson, chairwoman of Haddington’s community council, cautiously welcomed the plans.

She said: “The hospital was supposed to be finished in 2009 but now it is 2017 or 2018, or maybe even 2020.” She described a new community hospital as “absolutely brilliant” but felt they had “been here before” with promising talks of a new community hospital coming forward.

The outline business case for the project is also being developed in tandem with the planning proposals. That will set out costs, location, hospital services and timescales of demolition.

The outline business case would then be submitted to the Scottish Government this summer for approval.

The first of the four public meetings takes place on May 15 at Haddington’s Town House, 2-7pm.

Experts will return to the venue the following day, 10am-2pm and then head to The Brunton, Musselburgh, on May 19, 6-8pm.

A final exhibition takes place in North Berwick’s Hope Rooms from 6pm to 8pm on May 21.

An unstaffed exhibition is also being held from May 22 to 29 at the John Gray Centre in Haddington to give people more information.