A new £70m community hospital aiming to bring more services closer to the community has opened its doors to the first patients.

The East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH), in Haddington, will house services previously delivered at the Roodlands and Herdmanflat hospitals.

A range of additional services – from minor procedures to out-of-hours care – will be offered at the site, which will also support patients currently in local care homes.

Facilities include six wards with 132 single bedrooms with ensuite facilities, a dementia ward, a minor procedure room, an endoscopy suite and a mental health and general outpatient department.

The hospital also offers an area for music, physio and occupational therapy, a reflection room with garden and outdoor areas for patients and staff.

It will have a focus on teaching, with screening facilities so some procedures can be broadcast for students to watch.

Alison MacDonald, chief officer for East Lothian health and social care partnership, said the hospital will bring “huge benefits” for patients and carers in the area.

“In particular, it will enable people to have a range of procedures in a brand new, purpose-built hospital for which they previously had to travel to Edinburgh or further afield,” she said.

“It is also a real asset to the community. There are public rooms available to local groups, a Royal Voluntary Service cafeteria and local radio, who will be providing hospital broadcasting.”

Tim Davison, chief executive for NHS Lothian, said the new facility would help in the goal of delivering “high quality care, as close to home as possible”.

“It’s a great example of integrated planning and delivery between NHS Lothian, East Lothian Council and the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership.

“The new facilities will provide the venue for a significant increase in patient activity compared to the old hospital, including the return of some services to East Lothian, previously provided in Midlothian Community Hospital."