A LOCHGELLY GP says recent repairs at the town's health centre were a "sticking plaster on a gaping wound" as he appealed to the Scottish Government to fund a new £13 million facility.
Health Secretary Neil Gray visited the current, dilapidated centre last Wednesday when staff – and campaigners – put forward the case of the much-needed centre which has been in the pipeline for over a decade.
Dr Brian Robson, who has been at the David Street facility for the last four years, said the minister acknowledged that the building was not fit for purpose.
"The main thing about the visit was to make sure Neil Gray himself had seen the conditions that patients experience and staff experience," he said.
"We managed to show him the water coming through the ceilings and staff working in cupboards with no windows, the lack of security, the carpeted clinical rooms.
"He was, I think, genuinely shocked by the state of the health centre in 2024."
During the tour, copies of last week's Central Fife Times which highlighted the campaign for a new facility were placed around the building.
READ MORE: Lochgelly health centre campaigners vow to fight on for new facility
"The health minister had no choice but to see it," said Dr Robson. "We had it posted all over the centre. Every single place, every room we went to.
"It is not at all fit for purpose. It is totally unacceptable.
"I have been running the practice for four years now. I have been arguing with the health board and the Scottish Government continually about the state of the building and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.
"It is just not good enough. They have done some recent work on the building in advance of the cabinet secretary coming. This was a sticking plaster on a gaping wound.
"Putting in some new lighting and painting a few walls and using charity money to improve the staff room, that is not good enough. It is good money after bad.
READ MORE: Calls for more talks on "overdue" Lochgelly Health Centre
"The town has been promised a new health centre for more than a decade.
"The government has made statements in parliament repeatedly – from five different health secretaries. Lochgelly health centre has always been on the list, it just has never got to the top of the list."
Dr Robson urged the authorities to find £13m from a £19.5 billion annual health and social care budget.
"What we say to the government is every time they tell us they have no money, you choose not to prioritise Lochgelly," he said. "It is uncomfortable hearing for them.
"We want them to make the decision to press on with Lochgelly.
"The only thing is they have wasted almost three quarters of a million pounds in planning and designing and surveying and getting architects involved in designing the new centre and I showed some of these plans to the health secretary.
"We got to the stage of being shown where sinks were going to be. We were so close. Humza Yousaf made statements in parliament to say he would find the money. He totally let everyone down.
"Lochgelly is fed up of being let down. I have only been here for four years but the people of Lochgelly have been let down for decades.
"When I leave the practice in a few years time, or perhaps sooner, I want new doctors and new nurses to be working in Lochgelly. The only way we can attract them is to have a health and wellbeing centre like the ones in Glasgow, in the Gorbals and in Easterhouse.
READ MORE: Health minister visit leaves campaigners "disappointed"
"Lochgelly is an area of high deprivation and high unemployment and needs all these services in the one place. It has been done elsewhere.
"I do not accept the government has run out of money."
Garrie Roberts, chairperson of the Friends of the Lochgelly Health Centre group, said the visit went well.
"There were protesters and campaigners there. They came in with us for about half an hour. He seemed fairly genuine but said 'I cannot give you any promises'," he said.
"The health centre was built originally as a mother and baby clinic. They moved in temporarily and it is all an absolute farce."
Following the visit, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: "I’m grateful to the practice staff and Friends of Lochgelly Health Centre for meeting with me this week and explaining why a replacement health centre is needed.
“Due to significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.
"We plan to publish a revised Scottish Government infrastructure investment pipeline alongside the 2025-26 budget.”
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