St John's Hospital, Livingston
Encyclopedia
St John's Hospital is the main general hospital
in Livingston, West Lothian
, Scotland
. Located in the Howden area of the town, it serves Livingston, west Edinburgh
, and the wider West Lothian region. St John's is one of three hospitals run by NHS Lothian
which have accident and emergency
services. St John's has special status as a teaching hospital
for the University of Edinburgh Medical School
.
, near Dechmont
to the north of Livingston, was the main hospital in the West Lothian area from 1939. Bangour had been built as an annexe of the village hospital, which had specialised in psychiatry
. The Livingston Development Corporation(LDC), which oversaw the development of the new town
of Livingston from 1962, had planned to move the general hospital to Livingston from around 1974. The new hospital was opened in 1989, and Bangour General Hospital was closed in the early 1990s.
unit, where around 2,500 babies are born annually. The radiology
department uses a trust-wide PACS
system, complete with 2 digital screening rooms, spiral CT
, 4 ultrasound
machines and a gamma camera
. St John's contains many specialist services for south east Scotland, including oral and maxillofacial, burns and plastic surgery units. The hospital is being promoted as the main regional centre for elective surgery
, and as a centre for minimally invasive surgery. This centre, supported by University of Edinburgh professors, will provide Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and urology
. The ENT in patient facility formerly based in Edinburgh has been relocated and amalgamated with the ENT services already located at St John's and serving West lothian, with the intention of merging it with the existing head and neck unit, to form another regional centre. The improvements will see 4,500 patients per year being treated at St Johns.
station, which has been broadcast to the main buildings of the hospital since 1991. They have also obtained status as a Scottish registered charity.
It is just a short walk from Livingston North train station, which provides links to Bathgate, Edinburgh, Airdrie, and Glasgow via the recently reopened Airdrie-Bathgate line.
It has a large car park which along with all NHS-run hospitals in Scotland had its parking charges abolished on 31 December 2008.
General hospital
A general hospital is a type of medical facility which is set up to deal with many kinds of disease and injury.General hospital may also refer to:*General Hospital, an American soap opera broadcast since 1963...
in Livingston, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Located in the Howden area of the town, it serves Livingston, west 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...
, and the wider West Lothian region. St John's is one of three hospitals run by 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:...
which have 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...
services. St John's has special status as a teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
for the University of Edinburgh Medical School
University of Edinburgh Medical School
The University of Edinburgh Medical School is part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Edinburgh. Established nearly 283 years ago, Edinburgh Medical School is one of the oldest medical schools in Scotland and the UK...
.
History
Bangour General HospitalBangour Village Hospital
Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located west of Dechmont in West Lothian, Scotland. There was then a general hospital building created so it became Bangour Village Hospital. It was officially opened in October 1906, although the first patients had been admitted in June 1904...
, near Dechmont
Dechmont
Dechmont is a small village located near Uphall, West Lothian in Scotland. Bangour Village Hospital is located to the west of Dechmont. It has an approximate population of 989 people. Its postal code is EH52...
to the north of Livingston, was the main hospital in the West Lothian area from 1939. Bangour had been built as an annexe of the village hospital, which had specialised in psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
. The Livingston Development Corporation(LDC), which oversaw the development of the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
of Livingston from 1962, had planned to move the general hospital to Livingston from around 1974. The new hospital was opened in 1989, and Bangour General Hospital was closed in the early 1990s.
Hospital Services
The current facilities at St John's include a recently renovated accident and emergency ward, and a large maternityMaternity
Maternity or motherhood is the social and legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a mother and her child.It is specially related with the protection of the baby and the mother within and after the childbirth.-See also:...
unit, where around 2,500 babies are born annually. The radiology
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
department uses a trust-wide PACS
Picture archiving and communication system
A picture archiving and communication system is a medical imaging technology which provides economical storage of, and convenient access to, images from multiple modalities . Electronic images and reports are transmitted digitally via PACS; this eliminates the need to manually file, retrieve, or...
system, complete with 2 digital screening rooms, spiral CT
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
, 4 ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
machines and a gamma camera
Gamma camera
A gamma camera, also called a scintillation camera or Anger camera, is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy...
. St John's contains many specialist services for south east Scotland, including oral and maxillofacial, burns and plastic surgery units. The hospital is being promoted as the main regional centre for elective surgery
Elective surgery
Elective surgery is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency...
, and as a centre for minimally invasive surgery. This centre, supported by University of Edinburgh professors, will provide Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and urology
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
. The ENT in patient facility formerly based in Edinburgh has been relocated and amalgamated with the ENT services already located at St John's and serving West lothian, with the intention of merging it with the existing head and neck unit, to form another regional centre. The improvements will see 4,500 patients per year being treated at St Johns.
Hospital Radio
Radio Grapevine is the hospital radioHospital radio
Hospital radio is a form of audio broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of hospitals. It is primarily found in the United Kingdom.-History:...
station, which has been broadcast to the main buildings of the hospital since 1991. They have also obtained status as a Scottish registered charity.
Howden Health Centre
Howden Health Centre, is located within the hospital grounds, but predates the hospital by several years. It is a community health centre, and provides a range of health services for the local population. As well as accommodating a large NHS medical practice, there is a Family Planning clinic, Genitourinary Medicine clinic, Community Pharmacy, District Nursing team, and Health Visitor team based in the building.Transportation
St John's Hospital is very well linked by public transport in the area, with most buses within Livingston calling at St John's at some point in their route. It has links with Uphall, Broxburn, all parts of Livingston, Pumpherston, Mid Calder, East Calder, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Ocean Terminal, Linlithgow, Bathgate and more.It is just a short walk from Livingston North train station, which provides links to Bathgate, Edinburgh, Airdrie, and Glasgow via the recently reopened Airdrie-Bathgate line.
It has a large car park which along with all NHS-run hospitals in Scotland had its parking charges abolished on 31 December 2008.