NatWest Group has offered the vacant property to the NHS at no cost and suppliers G4S and ISS will also provide security and cleaning at no cost.
The centre will run 12 hours a day, seven days a week for the next six months. It opens with eight stations, capable of providing 480 appointments every day and with the capacity to double in size. Chairs and tables for the pods have been provided from the staff restaurant at Drummond House, next door to Younger Building.
Pat Wynne, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “A significant amount of effort has gone into the preparation of the site to ensure that it runs as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken by our staff and our Royal Bank of Scotland partners to get this site up and running and ready to receive patients.
“We are moving through our vaccination programme as fast as the vaccine supply allows. When you do receive an appointment, we would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre that seems far away from your home.
“In order for the programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as possible. This will help save lives and provide protection to all our communities across Lothian.”
Scotland Board Chair Malcolm Buchanan added: "The last 12 months have been some of the most challenging in living memory and today we are proud to play our part in supporting the biggest mass vaccination programme our country has ever undertaken.
"This is just one of many ways in which Royal Bank of Scotland has been supporting the response to COVID-19. The generosity and care of colleagues and customers has helped us support charities helping individuals and families affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic. For the last year colleagues have helped transform Gogarburn Conference Centre into a foodbank distribution centre, providing more than 250,000 families across Scotland with meals as well as books and teaching provisions for those home schooling.
"We are delighted at Royal Bank of Scotland to be able to partner with NHS Scotland and transform our Younger Building into a vaccination centre. These actions today will lead to a happier and more positive tomorrow for so many."
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop said: "We appreciate the NatWest Group's offer of support as we roll-out the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken in this country.
"Vaccination is one of the key ways to beat the virus and we can have the greatest effect by all working together. This temporary provision of premises by the Group to NHS Lothian will further increase capacity and is a great example of this collaboration in action."
St. Andrew's First Aid are currently recruiting volunteers to assist with NHS Lothian COVID-19 vaccinations and other opportunities across Scotland, providing important post-vaccine care. You can find out more and register to volunteer online.
