IT was top of his to-do list and the new MSP for Cowdenbeath has now written to NHS Fife and the Scottish Government and said Lochgelly has "waited far too long" for its new health centre.
Promised back in 2011, the money for the £13 million replacement facility has never been forthcoming and, following his election, David Barratt has sought answers on what's "holding it back" and when we will see progress.
The last update was a vague proposal to combine it with a project in Cowdenbeath and, with patience wearing ever thinner in the town and the current premises damned as "not fit for purpose" a decade ago, the SNP man is seeking to deliver.
Mr Barratt said: "Lochgelly has waited far too long for a modern medical centre, this commitment was first made well over a decade ago.
"The project has already progressed through many significant stages and it is vital that we now get absolute clarity on what is holding it back.
"I made a clear commitment during my campaign that this would be my first priority, and I intend to keep pressure on all decision-makers until we see real progress.
"Residents deserve answers and more importantly they deserve a new medical facility."
NHS Fife previously stated that the current health centre in David Street needs to be replaced - a doctor showed then health secretary Neil Gray around the practice two years ago and said the minister was "genuinely shocked" at the state of it - and planning permission is in place for a site on Francis Street.
The Scottish Government promised, in 2011, that a replacement would be built and this pledge was reiterated by then First Minister Humza Yousaf in 2021.
However, there's still no funding from Holyrood.
Mr Barratt has asked William Edwards, the new chief executive of NHS Fife, Angela Constance, the cabinet secretary for health and care, and deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth for information on the current status of the project, including the approval stage of the business case and a timetable for final funding decisions.
The MSP, who will also remain as a Fife councillor until next year, has lodged a series of written parliamentary questions seeking further detail from the government on the health centre, the funding process and the current position of the development within the national infrastructure pipeline.
The letters also seek clarification on whether the project has been formally approved through the government’s capital investment processes, and an answer on why Lochgelly has been grouped alongside Cowdenbeath in recent infrastructure planning documents.
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