MSP wants meeting with Deputy First Minister over crumbling Fife health centre

Annabelle Ewing MSP is to ask her for a meeting to secure a detailed timeline for bringing the project back to the table.

NHS Fife promised to replace the David Street facility by 2019 - along with a similar project in Kincardine - but work never started, and it was kicked into the long grass after a decision by the Scottish Government to adopt a phased approach to capital expenditure meant the £13m project couldn't be delivered within planned timescales, with no further updates planned until 2025.

That sparked a huge backlash locally, and Michael Matheson, Health Secretary, came to see the state of the building for himself. The issue hasn’t gone away since then, with Ms Ewing, SNP member for Cowdenbeath, pushing for clarity on the next steps.

She has now written to Ms Robison seeking a meeting, highlighting the “dire need” for a new medical centre in the town. The reply referred an ”investment pipeline” which would be set out in Spring - she has now written asking for specific timelines

Ms Ewing added: “A new medical centre for Lochgelly is long overdue and I am urging the DFM to ensure that it is treated as a priority. To that end, I am seeking a meeting with her to ensure that she has all the relevant information.”

Last August, staff at the centre said it was no longer fit for purpose, and branded conditions as awful.