Calls for residents to demand replacement eye pavilion

There are calls for Edinburgh and Lothian residents to send a clear message to Ministers and The Scottish Government that the failure to deliver a replacement Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is unacceptable.

NHS Lothian has announced that the eye hospital would be closing for six months due to urgent plumbing repairs.

Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, said that the building is “unfit for purpose”. He claims that previous FOIs to NHS Lothian showed a list of 125 outstanding items of maintenance work, totalling £2.3 million, that needed carried out at the hospital. Since April 2022 the list of outstanding maintenance work has remained the same.

A visit to the hospital with Lothian MSPs and the Cabinet Secretary for Health is scheduled for next month to see the extent of work required at the hospital and the urgent need for a replacement Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.

Figures from Sight Scotland show that over the last ten years there has been a 230% increase in ongoing waits for ophthalmology outpatients in NHS Lothian. The number of people waiting over sixteen weeks has increased by 5600% and those waiting over 12 weeks has increased by 2752%.

This closure to the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion is only going to worsen ophthalmology waits in NHS Lothian.

Mr Briggs said: “Residents in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s must let SNP Ministers know how angry they are with the lack of funding being delivered for a replacement Edinburgh Eye hospital

“Waits for Ophthalmology services in NHS Lothian have grown dramatically, especially over the last 3 to 5 years and people are having to wait excessive lengths of time for treatment.

“As with any medical treatment, the sooner that you are seen the better the expected outcome and this is especially the case for ophthalmology.

“People who want to make their voices heard can sign my petition online to restore funding for a new Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.”