Edinburgh hospitals: Millions of pounds 'stuck in system' due to freeze on NHS capital projects

More than £2.3 million had been spent on the planned replacement for Edinburgh’s no-longer-fit-for-purpose Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion before ministers ordered a pause and the project was put on hold, with all work stopped.

Another £1 million had been spent on the new Edinburgh Cancer Centre to be built at the Western General Hospital. And more than £8.8 million had gone into the new National Treatment Centre at St John’s Hospital, Livingston.

Edinburgh's existing Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was declared unfit for purpose in 2014. | TSPL

Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs said he had now written to Audit Scotland, asking it to look at the use of public money on the new eye hospital to date.

The current Eye Pavilion was declared not fit for purpose in 2014 and the Scottish Government originally agreed to a replacement hospital in 2018, but then cancelled the project in December 2020 before the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did a U-turn during the 2021 Holyrood election campaign and said it would go ahead after all.

But the projected date of December 2026 for the new hospital opening had already slipped to “late 2027” before the government told health boards in December last year that all new building projects had to be halted for at least two years as part of a review of capital spending.

There were hopes some projects could resume earlier, but a revised capital spending plan from the Scottish Government, expected in the spring, has been postponed until after the UK Government’s budget at the end of October.

The delay means the current Eye Pavilion remains in use despite frequent problems with leaks and lift breakdowns, sometimes leading to operations being cancelled, as well as a poor environment for both staff and patients.

A Freedom of Information request by Mr Briggs revealed the total of nearly £12.25 million already sent on the three major new hospital projects in Lothian - £2,339,931 on the eye hospital; £1,057,308 on the cancer centre; and £8,848,613 on the national treatment centre.

Mr Briggs said: “The delay surrounding the Eye Pavilion has been one of the scandals of the devolution era for patients across the Lothians. The hold-ups result in a poorer quality of care, more disruption for patients and miserable working conditions for staff.

“Now we learn a huge amount of investment is effectively stuck in the system thanks to a decision made by the SNP government earlier this year.

“NHS Lothian doesn’t have millions of pounds to spare, and it’s a disgrace this project has been further delayed, rendering all that cash – as it stands – completely wasted.

“I have also written to Audit Scotland asking them to look into the use of public money for this project to date.”