Lochgelly Health Centre replacement delay could be seven years

Humza Yousaf said in 2021 that money for the £13 million project would be found, after it was “first promised in 2011”.

NHS Fife had expected work replacing the “not fit for purpose” David Street facility to start in early 2023, before campaigners were told that funding for such capital projects won’t be confirmed until the “second half of the decade.”

That time has arrived, and progress still hasn’t been delivered.

A letter viewed by the Times from Health Secretary Neil Gray to MP for Glenrothes and Mid Fife, Richard Baker, explained: “The 2025-26 budget confirms our capital investment priorities for the next five to seven years, the NHS whole system infrastructure planning work will inform our capital investment priorities beyond that.”

He blamed “historic real terms cuts to our block grant by the previous UK Government, and sustained high levels of inflation” for the failure to fund such projects.

Mr Baker said: “Neil Gray makes it clear that funding approval for a new Lochgelly Health Centre is likely to take years, if not a decade.

“Remember, the SNP promised the people of Lochgelly they would get a new health centre, pledging this not once, but over the course of three elections.

“That pledge wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Instead, it’s been broken promise, after broken promise.”

Mr Baker pictured with Doctor Brian Robson, who has been vocal in his support for a new centre. (Image: Supplied) He added: “NHS Fife keeps pouring good money after bad into trying to maintain a building that’s falling apart.

"Anyone can see that that’s a losing battle. Meanwhile, the more a new health centre is delayed, the higher the build cost for a replacement becomes.

“The Scottish Government has been delivered an extra £9.1 billion over the next three years from Westminster, in addition to a record-breaking block grant, the highest since devolution began.

“Only the SNP could take that money and then claim it was austerity. This is deeply disappointing, and I’ll be writing back to Neil Gray to tell him so. It’s simply not good enough."

Lochgelly residents have long complained about healthcare provision in the town, with the community council previously describing “unbearable strain” caused by large new housing developments.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the letter to Mr Baker makes clear, we are currently working with all NHS health boards to identify investment priorities across Scotland, that includes NHS Fife.

“Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30.

“As part of our own Scottish spending review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities.

"We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.”

Fife Council gave NHS Fife permission for a new centre to be built at Francis Street back in February, even though the cash has not been found.

This is where the new Lochgelly Health Centre is to be built, once the money is in place. (Image: Google Street View) It came after Mr Gray was shown around the current facility, witnessing first hand conditions medical staff described as “water coming through the ceilings and staff working in cupboards with no windows”.

NHS Fife's director of property and asset management, Neil McCormick, said: "NHS Fife remains committed to delivering a new health centre for the Lochgelly community.

"We continue to progress the project behind the scenes to ensure we are in the strongest possible position to begin construction as soon as the required funding becomes available."