We use cookies on this site to analyse traffic and optimise the user experience. Ok Cookie Information Section Toggle NHS Lothian News & Media Media Enquiries & Contacts NHS Lothian operates a 24/7 service to respond to media enquiries. For enquiries by journalists during normal office hours (9.00am – 5.00pm) please either telephone 0131 465 5644 or email Lothian.Media@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk. For emergency media enquiries outside normal office hours, please telephone the switchboard on 0131 242 1000 and ask for the on-call Communications contact. How our communications team can help the media We endeavour to respond to media enquiries as quickly, and fully, as possible. In order to meet deadlines it is helpful if members of the media can contact us as soon as possible. This is because we may have to contact a number of people in order to gather information, and they are not automatically available, for example because they are busy with patients. We will often ask for questions to be sent to us in an email. This is valuable in ensuring that every aspect of an enquiry is addressed. For your confidence, and convenience, our team will normally provide a written response that includes a quote from a senior figure within NHS Lothian. Call us for Quotes, responses and interviews for news stories Interviews and case studies for features Condition checks on patients TV, radio or press interview requests for patients or staff Written features for publications Filming requests Please complete and return form below: Filming application request form Condition checks NHS Lothian is bound by law to only release patient information when they, or their representatives, give explicit consent. We can also only provide information about patients when we are provided with a full name, age and address. Freedom of Information Some media enquiries can demand substantial amounts of specialist research by staff in other parts of NHS Lothian, taking a considerable amount of time and needing to be fitted in among their normal duties. If this is the case we will sometimes advise a journalist to make a Freedom of Information request. This can be the best way to ensure full and detailed information. About the Communications Team The NHS Lothian Communications Team is responsible for providing an enormous range of information for hundreds of thousands of patients and approximately 24,000 staff. This can include everything from major advertising and health promotion campaigns to the vital information and updates staff need to get their jobs done. The team also deals with large numbers of media enquiries from national and local newspapers, TV, radio and specialist publications. As the provider of health services to a population of around 800,000 in four council areas (City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian), NHS Lothian must be publicly accountable and engage with the community it serves, actively involving it in development plans. Communicating openly and effectively is a key priority for the organisation. Our communications team is responsible for making information about NHS Lothian’s performance, activities and full range of acute and primary care services widely accessible. Information is targeted at patients and carers, NHS Lothian’s staff, partner organisations, the media, and other interested parties. It provides information, and responds to enquiries about, everything from the three large acute hospitals (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Western General, and St John’s) and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children to primary healthcare services and community hospitals, treatment units and pharmacies. The team manages both external and internal communications. External communications range from: for the public - website information, social media, reports, patient information and publications. for the media - responding to journalists’ queries, researching information, drafting and issuing press releases and statements, compiling feature articles. Internal communications activities include producing monthly team brief bulletins, the Connections staff newspaper, and intranet information. CONTACT NHS LOTHIAN Lothian NHS Board Waverleygate 2-4 Waterloo Place Edinburgh EH1 3EG Main Switchboard: 0131 242 1000 YOUR RIGHTS Compliments, Concerns & Complaints Freedom of Information OUR VALUES INTO ACTION Around 3,000 colleagues across NHS Lothian have developed Our Values, a set of common values and ways of working - to the benefit of everyone working in the organisation and, most importantly - to the benefit of our patients. WORKING WITH NHS LOTHIAN NHS Lothian Careers MEDIA ENQUIRIES Enquiries & Contacts STAY CONNECTED TO NHS LOTHIAN PARTNERS NHS 24 NHS Inform NHS Scotland Organ Donation Scotland Public Health Scotland Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Edinburgh City Council Police Scotland Scottish Ambulance Service Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Scottish Government Copyright © 2021 NHS Lothian Disclaimer