Edinburgh's new eye hospital: Scottish Government under fire over fresh delay

Edinburgh-based MSPs called the move “a huge disappointment” and accused the government of piling uncertainty on uncertainty.

A two-year freeze on major new NHS infrastructure spending was ordered by the Scottish Government in the wake of its budget last December after its capital funding from the UK Government was slashed.

As well as the eye hospital, the freeze also affected the elective treatment centre at St John's Hospital, Livingston, and the South East Scotland regional cancer centre at the Western General.

But the government promised an updated infrastructure plan in the spring. However, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has now written to Holyrood’s finance committee, saying any decision on infrastructure will be delayed until after the new UK Government sets out capital allocations in its budget at the end of October.

Lothian Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “This delay just adds uncertainty onto uncertainty for those desperate to see a new eye hospital built.

“This project is 10 years overdue and yet the Scottish Government are continuing to kick the can down the road.

“I hope the Scottish Government urgently provide the funding for the project and I am glad they seem to have re-opened this issue.

“However, all these delays will just further the stress and uncertainty faced by patients who desperately need a functioning eye hospital.”

And Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs said: “This further delay to finding out if SNP Ministers will reinstate the funding for a new Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is extremely disappointing. 

“We urgently need a new eye hospital to improve the delivery of ophthalmology across the South East of Scotland. 

“The decision by SNP ministers not to reinstate funding for a new hospital has been a disastrous decision and will ultimately lead to additional costs for the delivery of a new hospital. What we desperately need is to see some leadership from SNP Ministers."

The Scottish Government agreed in principle to a new eye hospital in 2018, as a replacement for the existing Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion which was declared not fit for purpose in 2014. But ministers then cancelled the project in December 2020 before the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did a U-turn during the 2021 Holyrood election campaign.

Edinburgh Southern Labour MSP Daniel Johnson said: “Edinburgh has needed a new eye pavilion for years, so this latest delay is a huge disappointment.

“But more than that, providing this information by a letter to the fiance committee in the middle of summer recess when MSPs do not have the opportunity to ask questions of the government is simply unacceptable.

The eye pavilion is well beyond its useful working life, its state of repair puts people’e eye health at risk and the lack of clarity regarding funding the replacement means Edinburgh runs a very real risk of being the only major city in the country without a specialist eyecare facility.

“The SNP Scottish Government must urgently clarify when the funding for the eye pavilion’s replacement will be confirmed.”