LHB61 Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

Collection Summary

Reference Code: GB239 LHB61

Title: Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

Administrative Dates: 1994-2000

Dates of Creation of Material: 1993-1998

Level of Description: Fonds

Extent and Medium of the Unit of Description: 0.3m; papers

Name of creator(s): Western General Hospitals NHS Trust

Administrative history: In 1993, each of the existing local NHS units made an application to become a NHS Trust under the terms of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. The Trusts were not directly managed by Lothian Health Board: they were within the NHS but as distinct organisations independent of the Health Board. Each Trust had its own Chairmen and Boards of Directors.

On 1 April 1993, the West Lothian Unit became the West Lothian NHS Trust and the other five units followed on 1 April 1994 with the Western General Hospitals Unit becoming the Western General Hospitals NHS Trust.

In December 1997, a white paper entitled ‘Designed to Care’ was published. It recommended a greater patient perspective in health care and a reduction in the number of trusts in Lothian from six to three. In April 2000, these became the Lothian Primary Care Trust (LPCT); Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust (LUHT), incorporating Royal the Infirmary of Edinburgh Trust, the Western General Hospitals Trust and the Edinburgh Sick Children’s Trust; and the West Lothian Healthcare Trust (WLHT).

Archival History: Records held within National Health Service prior to transfer.

Immediate Source of Acquisition or Transfer: Acc 03/02 - Eve Gilchrist, Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust

Scope and Content: Annual reports and summary accounts, 1995-1998; application for NHS Trust status, 1993; publications, c1996

Appraisal, Destruction and Scheduling Information: No disposals made.

Accruals: Possibility of further accessions.

System of Arrangement: Chronological within record class.

Conditions Governing Access: Public access to these records is governed by UK data protection legislation, the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, and the current Scottish Government Records Management: NHS Code of Practice (Scotland).

Conditions Governing Reproduction: Reproduction is subject to closure periods and physical condition.

Language/Scripts of Material: English

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: Paper documents

Finding Aids: Item level catalogue is available.

Related Units of Description:

West Lothian NHS Trust (LHB51)

East and Midlothian NHS Trust (LHB58)

Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust (LHB49)

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust (LHB43)

Archivists’ Notes: Compiled by Alison Scott

Rules or Conventions: Description based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description International Council on Archives (2nd edition), 2000

Date(s) of Description: August 2010