NHS Lothian is the UK’s second largest health authority, has 21 hospitals, 126 GP practices, 180 community pharmacies, 173 dental practices and 112 ophthalmic practices. NHS Lothian provides a comprehensive range of primary, community-based and acute hospital services for the populations of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. It also provides many services for patients in the Borders and in Fife and is a national centre of expertise for some specialties provided to people across Scotland. NHS Lothian has an annual budget of £1.6 billion and employs approximately 26,000 staff.
