Edinburgh Eye Pavilion: Patients voice fears over six-month emergency closure

They asked how eye operations would take place without the highly specialised theatres required and where people needing expert emergency treatment would now go.

And they warned that travelling long distances or making unfamiliar journeys for appointments at alternative sites would be a "nightmare" for people with sight loss.

Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion. Picture: Greg Macvean

NHS Lothian announced on Tuesday that the Eye Pavilion in Chalmers Street - which was declared not fit for purpose 10 years ago - would close while two waste pipes are replaced and asbestos is removed.

It said patient appointments scheduled to take place from October 28 would be moved to unspecified “other NHS Lothian facilities”.

Sylvia Paton, chair of patients' campaign group Keep Edinburgh Eye Pavilion (KEEP), said: "I'm devastated. It's such a big worry.  Where are the clinics going to go?  How are they going to manage to do surgery?

“The theatres they have are equipped with specialised equipment for micro eye surgery. Where are they going to find theatre space to do that? Is that going to impact on waiting times?   Are people going to lose their sight while they wait? There are lots and lots of very serious questions to be answered.”

She said her own eye condition was very complex and unstable. “Things can change from one second to the next.  When something happens I need emergency care, but I need specialist emergency care. If I turned up at an A&E they wouldn't know what to do and that could be the difference between me keeping the little vision I've got and losing it."

Ms Paton said she feared eye patients could be redirected to St John's Hospital, Livingston, for appointments and treatment, but said that would lead to big problems for many people. 

"Not everybody has help they can call on to get them to a clinic they have never been to before. Then they might decide just to cancel the appointment.  But cancelling an appointment is when things sometimes get missed or happen and that's where somebody that might be able to save their vision won't be able to save that vision.  No matter how little it is, your vision is precious. And the less you've got the more precious it is."

Hazel Kelly, a founder member of KEEP who also sits on charity Sight Scotland's policy committee, said she was "appalled" by the six-month closure.

"We've been fighting to get a new Eye Pavilion for ages and this shows how vulnerable the current building is.  Where are we all going to go now? When you're needing treatment it's specialist treatment you get in eye hospitals.  The Infirmary couldn't deal with the kind of operations I've had.

"I've had two corneal transplants and umpteen operations so I know what it's like and I have to thank the Eye Pavilion, albeit I've had several operations cancelled due to leaking roofs."

She said she assumed there was some sort of contingency plan for the hospital being out of action, especially since it had been declared not fit for purpose, but no details of alternative arrangements had been given.

She said: "I'm really worried - worried for existing patients and future patients, I'm worried for emergency operations, I just don't know how they're going to handle it." 

Craig Spalding, chief executive of Sight Scotland, said they were alarmed by the Eye Pavilion closure and warned it would severely disrupt patient services.

“While we understand the need for these repairs to ensure safety, we are deeply concerned about the serious risk to patient health and wellbeing.

"We have written to NHS Lothian requesting clarity on the alternative locations for patient appointments and what transport arrangements will be made for those with visual impairments. Many people with sight loss cannot drive and may not have someone to assist them on public transport. Will provisions such as taxis or ambulances be made available?”

He said it was also essential that patients were informed of appointment changes in an accessible way, such as through phone calls and formats like large print or braille.