A History of the Western General Hospital Site

As part of the Edinburgh Medical School 300 celebrations, the Institute of Genetics and Cancer are delighted to host local historian Jim Slaven for a talk on the history of the site.

The land on which the Western General Hospital and IGC now stand has been an important site of care for the local community over the years. Since the opening of Craigleith Poorhouse in 1868, it has served as a military hospital, delivered medical training to Polish evacuees during World War II, and become the NHS hospital we currently know.

Since the founding of the MRC Clinical Effects of Radiation Unit in 1956, and later the Human Genetics Unit, the area has been a site of research as well as treatment. The unit later joined with other research facilities, including the CRUK Scottish Cancer research Centre, and became a part of the University of Edinburgh, eventually becoming the Institute of Genetics and Cancer. Over the decades, our research has been at the forefront of understanding and improving care for genetic diseases and cancers.

In its different incarnations, the Western General Hospital site has been the site of scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, and community care. We hope you will join us to hear this history and the stories of the people who shaped it.

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Jim Slaven is a researcher based in Edinburgh. He has written and lectured widely on Scottish history, culture and contemporary affairs.

He is founder of Edinburgh Detours, a not-for-profit educational organisation which blends social history, psychogeography and architectural heritage to explore community and place.

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This event is taking places as part of Edinburgh Medical School 300 and Doors Open Days Festival 2026. You can find information about the other events taking place at IGC on the day here.