Patients left devastated over six-month closure of Edinburgh Eye Pavilion

Campaigners say they are devastated following the announcement that the Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh will close for six months next month.

The opthalmology centre at Princess Alexandra Hospital has been plagued with issues and was deemed not fit for purpose back in 2014.

Issues with the drainage system mean patients will be temporarily move to “other locations” to allow contractors to replace two waste pipes and remove asbestos material.

NHS Lothian say patients affected by the closure will be contacted.

But patients fear they will be forced to make unfamiliar journeys to other facilities which will put their safety at risk.

Sylvia Paton lives with a rare eye condition called aniridia – it means she does not have an iris and it’s led to a number of other issues.

She has limited vision and requires specialist hospital care.

Sylvia Paton has aniridia and attends regular clinics at the Eye Pavilion STV News

She told STV News: “We’re devastated at the news.

“There are issues with people not knowing where their next appointment is going to be, how they are going to get to those appointments.

“People don’t know where those clinics are going to be. Not everybody has help that can take them there.

“There are issues and questions over what happens with eye surgeries. Are people going to lose their vision after they had to wait longer because there’s no appropriate theatre space for surgeries in other facilities?

“I think from a day-to-day point of view, it’s maybe not noticeable that the building is falling apart.

“However, there are so many different things like the lifts breaking down, the roof sometimes leaks. Those in particular cause issues for people getting up and down the stairs to clinics.

She added: “I have at least four major eye conditions. I attend a minimum of three clinics for different reasons. If they are all over the place, I need to find my way to those places safely and how I’d how to cope with that.

“My guide dog won’t know the route and will be confused.”

Patients frustrated by six-month closure of Eye Pavilion STV News

Billy Gibson, from Edinburgh, was born blind and is a patient at the hospital.

“I was disappointed but not completely surprised,” he said.

“They said it was getting worse all the time. I am wondering will they open it again? I’m a bit cynical about that.

“My guide dog will find it difficult to get to an appointment in another area if I’ve not been there before.

“I think there has to be another hospital for Edinburgh. I’d like to see that. They’ve stalled all the time and I don’t know how seriously they’ve taken it. It should have been done a while back.”

Approval in principle for a new facility was agreed back in 2018 but the Scottish Government withdrew funding from the project in December 2020, proposing spreading ophthalmic services across the Lothians instead.

The former first minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged to overturn that decision but the opening has been continuously delayed.

Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: “Patients and staff are rightly hugely angry at this latest problem the hospital has faced.

“It has been a decade since the current hospital was described as not fit for purpose. Now it is closed for six moths for asbestos and major emergency plumbing works. It’s totally unacceptable.

“We need a replacement hospital cancelled on occasions. We need cross party to make that happen.

“I want to see ministers take charge of this. It’s really important.”

NHS Lothian say a new hospital is a priority – and that patients with appointments from October 28 will be contacted.

Deputy chief executive Jim Crombie said: “During routine maintenance checks our contractors identified two significant issues relating to the drainage system.

“Typical of a building of that age, is there is asbestos present, which requires specialist engineers to come in. The safest and most efficient way of doing that is with a building empty.

“It is our full and clear intention to reopen this building.

“We’re congnisant of [patients’ concerns] and we will look to minimise as much as possible. There are facilities in Edinburgh which are very close to the Eye Pavilion.

“Unfortunately, there will be facilities across the wider NHS Lothian region which will be in consideration.

“There will be a small number will be impacted and the clinical team will contact them directly. If you don’t hear from us, your appointment stands.”

Mr Crombie said NHS Lothian are “working closely” with the Scottish Government to secure funding for a brand new hospital.

He added: “This piece of work will internally fix the plumbing but our intention would be to rebuild the eye hospital. It is a major priority.

“We recognise the environment in which we’re functioning in terms of funding. Our ambition is to make sure when funding does come available, that NHS Lothian put forward a case saying we are a priority for investment.

“Given the new Labour administration, we’re watching all of these things closely but unfortunately do not have a timeline.”