The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was founded in 1729. It established a professional archive service in 1968. In 1974, the remit of the archivist was widened to cover the entire Lothian Health Board Catchment Area. Since 1994 Edinburgh University Library has directly managed the Archive on behalf of the local National Health Service (NHS) founders of the Service. Generally open to the public, but appointments for new users are essential. Enquiries via email and web form are welcomed. Opening hours are Monday-Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Thursday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; vacation 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Special permission is required to access personal health records, less than 100 years old. SERVICES: photocopying, photography, microfilming, and digital reprographics.

Administrative and clinical records of Institutions including: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Chalmers Hospital, Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children, Leith Hospital, City Hospital, Royal Maternity Hospital/Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh Dental Hospital and School, South Eastern Regional Hospital Board, Lothian Health Board. Other major collections: personal papers of Alexander Murray Drennan (1884-1984), pathologist; Sir Derrick Melville Dunlop (1902-1980), Christison Professor of Therapeutics and Clinical Medicine; Ernst Julius Levin (1887-1975), neurologist; Elsie Stephenson (1916-1967), Director of Nursing Studies Unit. Institutional papers of Medico-Chirurgical Society of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary Samaritan Society, Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland Blood Transfusion Service. Also, clinical case note collection covering early 1900s to the present (over 1,000 shelf meters); photographic collection (c. 40,000 images); printed book collection relating to midwifery and mental health in Scotland; some artifacts.