Edinburgh Eye Pavilion Replacement Secures Funding, Campaigners Express Mixed Reactions

A grandmother, who has advocated for years for a new eye pavilion in Edinburgh, expressed her elation, stating she “punched the air with joy,” following the approval of a replacement hospital. Sylvia Paton, 62, a lifelong sufferer of complex eye conditions, has been a consistent patient at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion since its inauguration in 1969. The facility, located on Chalmers Street, was declared unfit for its intended use in 2015. During her presentation of the Scottish Budget on Wednesday, Finance Secretary Shona Robison informed Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) that the Scottish government committed to funding a replacement. The Scottish government initially sanctioned a replacement for the eye pavilion in 2018, subsequently rescinding the decision before reversing course during the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections. Nevertheless, the previous year’s Budget implemented a two-year moratorium on significant projects, leading to the cessation of all work on the new eye hospital. The current Eye Pavilion is presently shut for a period of six months to undergo urgent repairs to its plumbing infrastructure. Sylvia, who lives with Aniridia—a rare condition characterized by improper iris formation—expressed her approval of the funding, reiterating that she “punched the air with joy.” “A new hospital would mean a whole new lease of life, not only for me but for all the other patients,” she informed BBC Scotland news. She continued, “I think it’s fantastic she has pledged to do this but I am nervous because she hasn’t announced how much she is going to put aside and when it would be available.” “However, it is fantastic that we’ve got here.” She also stated, “I’m a little bit sceptical about the timescale and the amount it is and it all being withdrawn again.” The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion presently serves approximately 1,500 patients weekly. The estimated cost for its replacement has since been set at £123 million. Lorna Pratt, 74, who suffers from keratoconus—a condition involving the thinning and bulging of the cornea, leading to distorted and blurred vision—has been a patient at the eye pavilion for five decades. “I’m thrilled that money has been earmarked, what I would say though is we have been here before twice,” she commented. She added, “I’m delighted that this has been said but I will just be hoping that there will be no change of policy in the near future before they get the work under way.” “It is a step forward though. I’m saying excellent but let’s just keep a watching eye on this and make sure there is no slippage.” She further stated: “I’m very pleased that it has been acknowledged as it was built in the late 60s and at that time they had no concept of the numbers they would be trying to deal with.” Ms. Robison also declared an allocation of nearly £200 million aimed at decreasing hospital waiting times, expanding capacity, offering further assistance for General Practitioners (GPs), increasing social care expenditure, funding additional dental training positions, and enhancing community-based support for adolescent mental health. She noted, however: “It is not just the day-to-day resource spending that will increase though. We are also increasing health capital spending.” “That means I can announce to the chamber today that this Budget will fund the replacement of the Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh, the Belford hospital in Fort William, and Monklands hospital in Airdrie.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.