A grassroots campaigning group determined to ensure a new facility to replace the ageing Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is built in Edinburgh has pressed politicians to reaffirm their support.
The Keep Edinburgh Eye Pavilion (KEEP) has this week written to all the main Scottish political parties to ask that candidates for the local authority elections this Thursday within Lothian uphold pledges previously made.
In their letter, KEEP says: ‘Across the Lothians, people with sight loss are becoming increasingly concerned about the ongoing delays to the promised replacement Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (PAEP) in Edinburgh. Recent press reports now indicate that further delays and increasing costs, mean that the new hospital will not be operational until June 2027‘.
KEEP points out that the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion provides specialist ophthalmological care for thousands of people across the south-east of Scotland. In 2015, the building was deemed not fit for purpose in a NHS Lothian report that made the case for a new facility.
But in late 2020, the Scottish Government withdrew capital funding from the health board earmarked to re-build it. However, following a campaign by KEEP it was announced in spring 2021 that the re-build would go ahead.
‘However,’ the letter from KEEP goes on, ‘there are growing concerns that the continued delays are not simply a construction matter. The existing PAEP building has been deemed not fit for purpose and is facing further reduced capacity through disrepair, resulting in waiting times and pressures on services becoming more acute.
‘It is not acceptable that blind and partially sighted people are increasingly being asked to travel across the country to the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank to receive treatment. Patients frequently face lengthy delays if unable to travel there independently‘.
During last year’s Scottish Parliament elections, KEEP secured commitments from all the main parties concerning the proposed new eye clinic facility.
Edinburgh city councillors also agreed a cross-party composite motion which said: “In terms of accessibility and equality of services it is vital that people have access that is affordable and is easy. As those of us who have had any trouble with our eyesight know, there is no time to spare. You need to get to that hospital quickly and efficiently. We have a centre of excellence that is world-renowned and we, as a capital city for people living in the south east of Scotland, depend on this facility. We need to stand up for Edinburgh.”
In their letter to each party’s health spokesperson, KEEP is asking councillors elected across the Lothian Health Board area to uphold pledges already made ‘and further work to ensure that the delays are reduced, that a clear timetable is given for when this project will start and be completed, and a guarantee to meet with members of the KEEP campaign to regularly discuss once they are elected‘.
