‘Waiting Times Will Soar and Patient Care will Suffer’
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans are urgently seeking answers from NHS Lothian regarding the temporary closure of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh due to emergency repair works.
The sight loss charities are questioning the six-month closure timeline and are warning that it will result in longer waiting times and declining patient care, putting the eye health and mental wellbeing of thousands at heightened risk.
During a recent round table discussion in the Scottish Parliament on Monday 30th September, Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, along with NHS Lothian’s Interim Chief Executive Jim Crombie, MSPs Sue Webber, Miles Briggs, and Sarah Boyack, and representatives from Visibility Scotland, RNIB Scotland, Sight Scotland’s Policy Group and the KEEP campaign, discussed the implications of the temporary closure.
Key concerns raised included:
- Resilience and Contingency Plans: Clarity is needed on how NHS Lothian will handle patient reallocations, especially if moving patients to other locations becomes unviable, and what longer-term contingency plans exist if repairs exceed the 6-month timeframe.
- Relocation of Services: NHS Lothian must confirm where outpatient, inpatient, day care, and emergency services will be provided during the closure.
- Communication and Patient Support: Will NHS Lothian commit to timely, accessible updates and appointment information (e.g., large print, colour contrast, Braille, telephone calls) and ensure consistent patient support services throughout the disruption?
- Transport and Accessibility: What transport options will be available for patients, especially those struggling to reach new locations? Will NHS Lothian seek to secure additional funds from the Scottish Government for taxis and ambulances?
- Access to Medication: How will patients access medication from the specialist pharmacy, and will community pharmacies be an alternative?
- Patient Data: How will patient data records be secured and shared, and what system will ensure quick transfer of essential paperwork to prevent delays in CVI registration?
Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, comments: “We are extremely concerned that the health and wellbeing of eye patients in Edinburgh and the Lothians is being overlooked once again.
“The temporary closure of the eye hospital raises serious questions about patient care, continuity of services, and access to essential treatments.
“This building has been deemed unfit for purpose for over a decade, yet NHS Lothian is set to pour millions into patching up a leaky roof, while the entire facility remains a disaster zone.
“This is a significant blow to patients in a region where ophthalmology services are already severely strained. With waiting times at an all-time high, they are now expected to worsen, causing further delays to vital treatments and placing the eye health and mental wellbeing of thousands at serious risk.
“Since the building was declared unfit for purpose in 2014, outpatient waiting times have quadrupled. Now, less than a third of patients are seen within 12 weeks, compared to 90% ten years ago. Patients cannot afford to wait this long for critical treatments, and it’s only going to get worse.
“There are so many urgent questions which need answered. What resilience plans are in place if some patient reallocations to alternative sites prove unviable?
“What contingency measures exist if the repairs extend beyond the planned six-month timeframe, will there be increased funding if the £1.8 million allocated for emergency repairs falls short? Where will those needing access to emergency eye care go?
“It is essential NHS Lothian works in partnership with third-sector organisations to support vulnerable patients during this difficult time, as many of them will be severely impacted.”
“The recent roundtable made it clear that concerns are widespread, and there’s still no comprehensive plan to improve eye care in the capital. We must keep pushing NHS Lothian and the Scottish Government for answers, both for immediate solutions and long-term improvements.
“How many more lives must be disrupted before funding for a new eye hospital is finally secured?”
For more information, visit sightscotland.org.uk