We’re calling for access to quality eye healthcare for everyone living in Scotland.
No more delays.
No more broken promises.
We urgently need quality eye healthcare for all, now.
Over 700 people have signed our petition calling for a new eye hospital in Edinburgh.
The current eye pavilion was declared unfit for purpose 10 years ago.
Despite this, the Scottish Government has now confirmed that a new eye hospital will not be funded due to pause on all capital spend projects in NHS Lothian.
With leaky roofs, broken lifts and waiting times for ophthalmology at 14 weeks at the eye pavilion, we’re working with MSPs and the Scottish Government to ensure there are interim plans for existing and future patients to receive the quality eyecare they deserve.
The Scottish Government's 2024-25 budget made no mention of a new eye hospital. Now, the Scottish Government has confirmed that there will be no funding for a new eye hospital – despite the current building being declared unfit for purpose in 2014.
10 years later, and we're still no further forward.
A new eye hospital in Edinburgh was promised by the Scottish Government in 2018, yet five years on, the opening has been delayed further.
The Scottish Government withdrew funding from the project in December 2020, and have since flip-flopped back and forth on their commitment to it. In 2021, former First Minster Nicola Sturgeon declared it would go ahead but gave no timescales for its completion.
As of 2024, 183,000 people across Scotland are estimated to live with sight loss and this number is set to grow.
An estimated 45,260 of individuals live in local authority areas served by the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (PAEP).
This means that 25% of people in Scotland living with sight loss are served by an eye hospital that was declared unfit for purpose over 10 years ago.
Every single one of these individuals deserves access to quality eye healthcare. People with visual impairment cannot wait any longer.
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If you need to talk to someone about sight loss, we'll listen. We'll explore what living with sight loss means for you or the person you support, and talk through your concerns, finding solutions together.
Policy group
We want to hear from you so that visually impaired people continue to be at the heart of our work.
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Our dedicated policy team work with blind and partially sighted people to campaign for change.