Lothian Health Services Archive

Lothian Health Services Archive holds the historically important local records of NHS hospitals and other health-related material.

We collect, preserve and catalogue these records and promote them to increase understanding of the history of health and for the benefit of all.

In a project funded by the Wellcome Trust, LHSA is developing an online catalogue to the case notes of prominent Scottish neurosurgeon, Norman Dott (1897-1973). The catalogue will help users search over 26,000 records whilst protecting the privacy of individual patients in accordance with relevant legislation and guidance.

The Collections

A variety of NHS clinical and non-clinical records date from 1770 and 1594 respectively.  Gifted or deposited non-NHS institutional and personal papers have increased the range and depth of holdings, which now occupy c. 3,000 shelf metres.  There is also a photographic collection (c. 40,000 items) as well as older printed books, memorabilia, medical instruments, artworks, silverware and other historically significant objects.

The significance of LHSA's Edinburgh and Lothian HIV/AIDS Collections has been recognised by inscription to the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register.  Please see the source list for more information.

Although the majority of personal military medical records were kept by the War Office, LHSA holds rich resources relating to hospital life in the First World War. Along with an almost complete collection of the Craigleith Chronicle, a magazine produced by staff and patients at the Second Scottish General Hospital, Craigleith, images, scrapbooks and personal papers reflect Lothian’s medical home front.

Collaboration with Schools

From October 2010, LHSA are working alongside 'Learning and Teaching Scotland' to make LHSA material available to schools and teachers in line with the Curriculum for Excellence.  LHSA will become a member of the GLOW network, a national intranet service for schools where teachers and pupils from all over Scotland can access resources to enhance learning.  Watch this space for further updates!

LHSA will be adding resources on the following areas of the curriculum:

Scotland’s History: The Making of Industrial & Urban Scotland 

• Health
• The Fight against Disease

Scotland’s History: 20th & 21st Centuries 

• Women’s Rights and Suffragettes
• Elsie Inglis
• The Great War
• Alexander Fleming

Learning and Teaching Scotland

Could you use LHSA records to teach your history classes/projects?

We hold a variety of different types of collections which have come from different hospitals, organisations and individuals.  You can search our collection catalogues via this website, and we also have a number of online exhibitions available to showcase our collections.

Online exhibitions and resources

If you are planning a project or series of classes relating to the history of health and medicine in some way, then we may be able to help. Liaison with schools (primary and secondary) is an area in which LHSA is keen to develop.  We would like to explore opportunities for LHSA staff to visit schools and show pupils reproductions of original documents, or it may be possible to arrange small group visits to the Archive itself. 

Please contact us if you think we may be able to help you and/or your school; if you think there is anything we could add to this section of the website; or if you have any questions about any of our services.