LOCHGELLY families are being kept waiting for their new £6million health centre.

A new facility in the town has been desperately needed for years and NHS Fife submitted an initial agreement to the Scottish Government in August 2017.

The government rebuffed the document and asked for a revision to be made, with fresh plans set to be put forward this summer.

Should they be approved, it is unclear when work on the David Street centre will begin or when it could be completed by.

MSP Annabelle Ewing was pleased to hear of the update but stressed the need for locals to be kept in the loop.

She said: "I am pleased that a programme for work has been agreed for the planning of health care services in Lochgelly but I would repeat the call I have already made for further clarification on the anticipated timescale for the delivery of Lochgelly’s new health centre now that it is clear the revised initial agreement document will not be submitted until the summer.

“I have also asked for more detail on what work has been done since the original initial agreement document was first submitted some 18 months ago.

“There is no question that the plans submitted must be as robust as possible but local folk also deserve to be kept properly informed regarding the progress of the plans."

The £6million required for the new Lochgelly Health Centre and Kincardine Health Centre is part of NHS Fife's capital investment programme for 2019-20, which was approved by the board last week.

Indicative spending plans for the next four years were also passed.

Councillor Linda Erskine, whose ward covers Lochgelly, said in January that the centre was "desperately needed".

She said: "I'm sure that people are fed up having to queue outside in all weathers to get an appointment."

Michael Kellet, director of Health & Social Care Fife, said: "NHS Fife submitted an initial agreement document to the Scottish Government’s NHS Capital Investment Group on 17th August 2017, seeking initial approval to replace Lochgelly and Kincardine health centres.

"The Scottish Government identified that the initial agreement document did not set out how services would be changed to improve the health care provided to the people of Lochgelly and Kincardine and therefore requested that the service model set out in the initial agreement be developed further and that NHS Fife consider what impact that would have on the proposed new facilities.

"Since then, the Scottish Government, NHS Fife and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership have agreed a programme of work to support the planning of services in these areas. This should assist NHS Fife with the development of its proposal for capital investment in Lochgelly and Kincardine. The Scottish Government will reconsider NHS Fife’s initial agreement document when it is resubmitted for approval in the summer."