Construction work is due to start on a £27.3m project to build three new health centres.

The NHS Lothian programme aims to bring health, social care and council services under one roof.

Building work for the centres in Firrhill in the south west of Edinburgh, Muirhouse in the north west of the city and Blackburn in West Lothian will begin in the coming weeks.

Financial contracts have now been agreed for the project, which is being led by the health board with support from Edinburgh City Council and West Lothian Council.

Susan Goldsmith, finance director at NHS Lothian, said: "The three new buildings will help to better connect health, social care and council services, therefore improving how services operate for patients and service users.

"Bringing services together in one place will also help to improve access for communities throughout Edinburgh and West Lothian."

The new centres, which will feature clinical services ranging from podiatry to dentistry, have been developed under the Hub South East Scotland public contracts initiative.

Graham Construction has been appointed as the contractor at all three sites.

Paul McGirk, Hub South East Scotland's chief executive, said the project had reached an "exciting milestone".

He added: "We have already successfully delivered a range of new facilities for the three public sector partners involved and we look forward to continuing this successful relationship and ensuring that the local community benefits during the construction period, through opportunities such as new jobs, work placements and training."

The three centres are expected to open to the public by late 2017.