Edinburgh Eye Pavilion: temporary closure for urgent repairs leads to £4 million bill

NHS Lothian said the repair work - removal of asbestos and replacement of water pipes - has been estimated at £1.9m, with a similar amount needed to move staff and equipment from the Eye Pavilion to alternative locations.

Health board bosses also admitted the switch to different sites across Lothian had resulted in an increase in missed appointments and cancellations.

The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh is currently closed for urgent repairs | JPI Media

But they said that work was on schedule and due to be completed by mid-April.

NHS Lothian announced on September 17 that the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Chalmers Street - declared unfit for purpose in 2014 - would have to close for six months for urgent repairs.

All surgery and inpatient services were switched to St John’s Hospital, Livingston, while the Acute Referral Clinic, which deals with emergency cases referred by doctors and opticians, and many outpatient clinics were relocated to the Lauriston Building, across the road from the Eye Pavilion, with the new Sick Kids hospital and East Lothian Community Hospital also earmarked to accommodate services.

In reply to a Freedom of Information request from Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs about the costs involved, NHS Lothian said: “Repair works are anticipated to be up to £1.9m for repair work , with additional costs of up to £1.9m associated to move staff and associated infrastructure to different locations.”

NHS Lothian also said the Scottish Government had given a commitment to meet both capital and revenue costs.

Deputy chief executive Jim Crombie told the Evening News: “The works programme is on track and we have achieved all of the expected milestones so far. Construction works are due to complete in mid- April before clinical services can begin to reoccupy the building.

“There was an increase in patients not attending appointments in the first couple of weeks and cancellations from patients not willing to travel. We have worked with individual patients and groups to minimise disruption and make it as workable as possible for patients to continue their treatment and appointments while these essential works are urgently carried out.

“We remain grateful to our patients for their patience and understanding during this time when we know they will have experienced inconvenience.”

Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced in her budget in December that the Scottish Government would fund a replacement for the Eye Pavilion. It follows initial approval for such a project in 2018, which was then cancelled, reinstated and then put on hold because of a capital spending freeze. But no timetable has yet been set out for construction to begin.

Mr Briggs welcomed the government’s pledge to fund the repairs to the current building. He said: “Cross-party, we have been lobbying for this resource to be given to NHS Lothian to help cover the costs.

“A lot of the blame for the fact we are still in the old Eye Pavilion is the fact we saw the project cancelled, reinstated and then put on ice again. I think ministers have to take responsibility for this and I’m pleased that money has been forthcoming.”

But he said there were still issues which had to be discussed over what further costs would be required for maintenance of the current building before the new hospital was built.

“This is emergency spend at the moment, but it might not be the only issue which arises before we get the new building. It could still be a significant period of time that staff and patients will be using the old Eye Pavilion.”

He said the increase in missed and cancelled appointments would have created a further backlog in treatment and he had asked for statistical information to gauge the extent of the problem. “Specialists were very clear that all this disruption would cause harm.”