The Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation is delighted to present an exhibition by the Edinburgh Urban Sketchers at the Anne Ferguson Gallery form 15 July 2019 to 17 January 2020. Edinburgh Urban Sketchers is the local chapter of the international ‘Urban Sketchers’ group. These works have been made by group members during regular visits … Continue reading Urban Sketchers Exhibition: 150 Years of Western General Hospital
Walk Around the Western – a 150 years ago on the 21st December 1868……….
The walk starts at the Clocktower although you can start wherever and this should take you a little over 30 minutes. In June 1867 the ground to build the Craigleith Parish Poor House was acquired at 16 pounds an acre from The Fettes Trust. The site comprised of ten acres of farmland at what was known … Continue reading Walk Around the Western – a 150 years ago on the 21st December 1868……….
‘Art Donor’ Art Exhibition | Anne Ferguson Gallery
5 Dec 2018 –28 June 2019 – All welcome! The exhibition 'Art Donor' celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the Western General Hospital and can now be seen in the Anne Ferguson Gallery (formerly the LINK Gallery). These oil paintings, watercolours, collages, and original prints are just some of the art works donated to the hospital over the years. … Continue reading ‘Art Donor’ Art Exhibition | Anne Ferguson Gallery
Born at the Western | Chris Stirling
I don't mind admitting that I feel a particular connection to the Western General Hospital. I'm one of a number of people who were born in the maternity unit before it closed in 1992. It has been my local hospital for most of life. And now, I'm one of a select group who not only … Continue reading Born at the Western | Chris Stirling
A Historical Perspective | Martin Eastwood
Martin Eastwood and Anne Jenkinson’s ‘History of the Western General Hospital’ is an amazing 250 pages of detailed description of the beginnings of healthcare provision in the west, on the other hand some say east, of Edinburgh until around 25 years ago. So popular is the publication that it is difficult to get hold of. … Continue reading A Historical Perspective | Martin Eastwood
Amazing Western Facts| Mark Strachan
When I met Mark he was still buzzing from having completed his first 10k. I think he might have been caught up in the wave of enthusiasm that had seen 86 of ‘Westerners’ enter the Scottish Half Marathon and 10k. It had been Mark’s first 10k and he was very pleased that his training plan … Continue reading Amazing Western Facts| Mark Strachan
Scottish Half Marathon + 10K
The weather forecast for the 'festival of running' hadn't been all that brilliant. Strom Ali on the Wednesday had been impressive in its ferocity and further wind and rain had been forecast for the rest of the week including Sunday. I'm a seasoned runner and not put off by a bit of weather, however I … Continue reading Scottish Half Marathon + 10K
The Western General Action Group | Dave Pickering
Digging through some Western General images on the amazing Scottish digital archive that is SCRAN, I came across a couple of pictures of people protesting outside the Western General. I was fascinated to find out a bit more and soon found a local social history group who also had some information about a campaign to … Continue reading The Western General Action Group | Dave Pickering
An Army Marches on Its Stomach | WGH Soft Facilities
I recently had the pleasure of meeting some folk involved in the inner workings of the Western General Hospital – those involved in catering, domestic services and portering. The more I look into life at the Western, the more I understand just how important all the different disciplines are in making sure that the patients … Continue reading An Army Marches on Its Stomach | WGH Soft Facilities
A man of many interests | Vaughan Ruckley
Sport has featured prominently in Vaughan’s life. A keen tennis player from an early age he still keeps his hand in two or three times a week. But I found that Vaughan is no singly talented person. Not only did he play tennis at a high level when at university, once his studies were over … Continue reading A man of many interests | Vaughan Ruckley
The Dividing Line | Andy Elder
Hospitals can be very functional and occasionally somewhat drab places. Acres of magnolia are not proven to damage health, but there is now quite a lot of evidence that making the caring environment visually more attractive has a positive effect. Andy Elder has been an important voice and long standing advocate for the inclusion of … Continue reading The Dividing Line | Andy Elder
Listen to the Western Revue 1966
The Western Review became a tradition in the 1960s. The shows took place in the Recreation Hall, a large building which stood next to Porterfield Road , roughly on the site of the present Royal Victoria Building. The performers included nurses , junior doctors, medical students, radiographers, pharmacists, physiotherapists , porters and anyone else who … Continue reading Listen to the Western Revue 1966
Training to be a Nurse | Tessa Macintyre
Tessa Millar (now Macintyre) trained at the Western General Hospital in the early 1960s and in our conversation it soon became clear that life in the 60s was quite different. Tessa left school at 17 and applied for a job as a student nurse at the Western, where her interview questions included ‘What does your … Continue reading Training to be a Nurse | Tessa Macintyre
Nearly 100 Marathons | Allan Price
After the very well attended Edinburgh Park Run in June it was suggested I should meet up with Allan, not only a well-respected Consultant in Clinical Oncology at the Western General, but also a runner of nearly one hundred marathons. My interest was piqued, possibly because I have a run a few marathons myself. When … Continue reading Nearly 100 Marathons | Allan Price
A find from the 1960s
We have two Western Revue LPs one from 1966 properly recorded and a bootleg version from 1969. For the younger amongst you they look just like 12inch singles. For the older amongst you the twelve-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and is commonly used in disco and dance … Continue reading A find from the 1960s
Second General Military Hospital, Craigleith
One of Edinburgh’s military hospitals was the Second General Military Hospital, Craigleith. The hospital was run by a Territorial Unit, who requisitioned the hospital wing of the Craigleith Hospital and Poorhouse. The first patient was received as early as August 1914, and the hospital was handed back to Edinburgh Town Council in Spring 1919. When the Local … Continue reading Second General Military Hospital, Craigleith
The Re(a)d Bed exhibition at the City Arts Centre
The exhibition at the City Arts Centre on Market Street continues until the 8th of July 2018. Each painting in ‘The Human Comedy’ series by James Pryde (1866-1941) depicts a facet of the human condition. From the series, this exhibition features ‘The Red Bed’ (1916) from the City of Edinburgh collection, alongside work from Lothian … Continue reading The Re(a)d Bed exhibition at the City Arts Centre
WGH150 | Your Ideas and Suggestions
Chris Stirling, Site Director and Catriona Rostron, Associate Nurse Director have established a small working group of people to assist in the planning the 150th anniversary of care being provided on the Western General site. The group comprises existing and retired staff, and is supported by colleagues from the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, Lothian … Continue reading WGH150 | Your Ideas and Suggestions
A Place for Innovation | Iain MacIntyre
I arrived at Café 1505 part of Surgeons Hall complex on Nicholson Street. I was soon joined by Iain MacIntyre who had, quite by chance, met Vaughan Ruckley, formerly a surgeon at the Western who had given Iain his first job as a house surgeon there in 1968 - it’s a small world! Iain told … Continue reading A Place for Innovation | Iain MacIntyre
Different Perspectives | The WGH Wildlife Walk
When I went to see David Wright, what immediately struck me were his wider interests. The honey cakes I was offered led me to find out more about his beekeeping. So, it seemed fitting that when it was time to take a portrait photo, we did this in his garden, preferably in front of his … Continue reading Different Perspectives | The WGH Wildlife Walk
The Western from the Sky
I've been told about the tennis courts, the football pitch, the nurses residency, the social centre and the doctor's houses, so I was delighted to come across this aerial photograph of the Western. Apparently the Western came into being in the early 1930's as the Edinburgh Town Council took over Craigleith Hospital among others as … Continue reading The Western from the Sky
A Living Organism | Brian Slawson
When I met Brian he had just finished a stint as a quiet surrogate patient for 4th year medical student exams at the Western. Tomorrow his script was to be a nervous patient, which he was quite looking forward to. He confided that he found it much more difficult to act as a belligerent patient, … Continue reading A Living Organism | Brian Slawson
A Small Gesture | Frances Priest
I had arranged to meet Frances in a café on the Lothian Road. I had just sat myself down with a latte and she rushed in apologising that a chance meeting with one of my colleagues on the other side of town had delayed her a bit. Knowing the person concerned I was pretty impressed … Continue reading A Small Gesture | Frances Priest
NHS 70 parkrun at Silverknowes
Does anyone fancy doing a Western General parkrun on 9th June to celebrate 70 years of the NHS? The Silverknowes parkrun would seem the logical one to do as its in our area (and is the biggest and best of the local parkruns). It’s free. It’s very non-elitist – any standard of jogger/runner/walker can do … Continue reading NHS 70 parkrun at Silverknowes
Transforming Spaces | Wilma Jack
Wilma is a Senior Research Fellow working within the Breast Unit at the Western. She has a long association with cancer care starting her career in 1973 in the Radiotherapy Unit WGH, now called the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, and from 1988 onwards with the Edinburgh Breast Unit previously at Longmore Hospital in Newington- now Longmore … Continue reading Transforming Spaces | Wilma Jack
Coffee, honey cakes and ICU | David Wright
We met David Wright at his house not that far from the Western General Hospital. A generous welcome included freshly brewed coffee and equally delicious honey cakes baked the evening before. The honey for the cakes is produced by the bees that David and his wife, Bron, keep in their garden. He was slightly worried … Continue reading Coffee, honey cakes and ICU | David Wright
All in the Mind BBC Radio 4
Claudia hears from Fiona who nominated the nurse who gave her treatment for bladder cancer for the 2018 All in the Mind Awards. Fiona explains why her experience of childhood trauma re-surfaced when she realised what her treatment for bladder cancer would involve. And why Western nurse Tanya went the extra mile to manage her … Continue reading All in the Mind BBC Radio 4
Builder finds time capsule
A time capsule containing documents from 1913 was found during the demolition of the former Paderewski Hospital building in 2010. The contents included minutes from the meeting at which planning permission was granted, a map of Edinburgh, copies of the Evening News and the Scotsman, a signed diary and a photograph of the leader of … Continue reading Builder finds time capsule
Norman Dott Pioneer Neurosurgeon
Professor Norman McOmish Dott (1897-1973) was born in Edinburgh to art dealer Peter McOmish Dott and his wife, Rebecca, and was the third of five children. Norman showed considerable flair for design and engineering and was apprenticed to the local engineering firm of McTaggart Scott & Co after he left George Heriot’s School. However, a … Continue reading Norman Dott Pioneer Neurosurgeon
The Craigleith Chronicle 1915
This edition of the Chronicle was produced by the Second Scottish General Hospital, Craigleith in 1915. Staff and patients submitted articles, stories and poems on many different topics. Many provide a valuable insight into life as a soldier, patient or member of hospital staff at this time http://issuu.com/lhsa/docs/craigleith_chronicle/
150 Places
Is there a particular spot at the Western that grabs your attention? It might be the wonderful court yards of the Anne Ferguson building so beautifully looked after by the gardening team. Or perhaps it is that ramp you have to navigate down from Infectious Diseases to the Alexander Donald Building? Or what about the … Continue reading 150 Places
150 Voices
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150 Faces
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