I met with Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray MSP to raise my concerns with the Scottish Government’s failure to deliver on the promises of new health centres for Lochgelly and Kincardine.
I highlighted that these projects had been discussed in the community for over a decade and successive Health Secretaries had recognised the need for the replacement, with NHS Fife describing the current health centres at Lochgelly and Kincardine as “older facilities which no longer meet the needs of the local populations.”
The Scottish Government’s recognition of the need for replacement went as far as former First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP, then Health Secretary, who gave his “absolute assurance” and “absolute confirmation” that funding would be found for the new health centre when the Scottish Government received the outline business case in a response to a question asked by Annabelle Ewing MSP in the Chamber on 2 March 2023.
The Health Secretary recognised the ongoing need for replacement health centres in Lochgelly and Kincardine but pointed to ongoing financial difficulties as the reason for the delay, stating that the Scottish Government is engaging in a capital review and will be bringing forward a Medium Term Financial Strategy, currently delayed due to the UK General Election.
I was very grateful to the Health Secretary for giving me the opportunity to raise my constituent’s concerns about Lochgelly and Kincardine Health Centres.
Communities in Fife have been promised these new centres for years now and NHS Fife have been working with communities to plan these appropriately, so it is disappointing that the Scottish Government has still not delivered on its part of these projects.
The current health centres, which NHS Fife has stated no longer meet the needs of local populations due to their age and condition, create a significant barrier not only to the delivery of healthcare services in Fife but also in the ability to recruit and retain GPs in an area already experiencing issues with GP access.
I made clear my feelings that the ongoing delay in delivery is unacceptable and the Health Secretary stated that the Scottish Government is currently engaged in a capital review and will soon deliver a Medium Term Financial Strategy which I hope will provide more clarity on the future of these projects.
For my part, I will continue engaging the Scottish Government on this issue and working with other MSPs that represent Lochgelly and Kincardine and community groups to see these long-awaited facilities delivered as promised.
