Edinburgh MSP Daniel Johnson presses Health Secretary Neil Gray for timeline for promised new eye hospital
People in Edinburgh will remain "extremely anxious" about the future of the city's Eye Pavilion until there is a clear timetable for its replacement, a Capital MP has said.
Edinburgh Southern Labour MSP Daniel Johnson pressed Health Secretary Neil Gray in the Scottish Parliament to say when the promised new hospital would be built.
The long-delayed project to replace the current Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was given the go-ahead in the Scottish Government's Budget in December 2024, but it was later confirmed the hospital would take six years to deliver.
Mr Johnson asked what the Scottish Government's new Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline, published along with this year' Budget, meant for the promised hospital.
Mr Gray said the refreshed Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline confirmed that a replacement for the Eye Pavilion remained one of the government's four priority health projects.
Capital was fully committed and the government awaited the business case from NHS Lothian.
He continued: "It is usual for the business case process, construction and commissioning to take some time and there will be greater clarity on the timeline following receipt of the business case."
Mr Johnson said he was sure Mr Gray would recognise the sensitivity of the issue.
"The Eye Pavilion was declared unfit for purpose in 2014, a replacement committed to in 2018, cancelled in 2020 before U-turning in the 2021 election.
“The next election is upon us and despite having the future pipeline, what we don't have is a clear timeline.
"And we also know that with the government's spending review, the capital spending for health is forecast to decrease as a proportion of all capital expenditure.
“When will we have that clear timeline? Because until we have it Edinburgh people will remain extremely anxious about the future of the Eye Pavilion."
Mr Gray said he had been been grateful for the opportunity to meet some of the Eye Pavilion's patients and he recognised their anxiety and the need for progress.
He said: "I am pleased we do have confirmation of the continued prioritisation to the Eye Pavilion. The capital investment required for that is fully committed over the course of the pipeline and we await the Outline Business Case from NHS Lothian in order to confirm the rest of the timeline.
"Daniel Johnson does reference capital funding, so I have to say the capital funding available to us is also being squeezed by UK Government decision-making and perhaps that's something he can make reference to his colleagues at Westminster."