The village in West Lothian has seen its local population grow rapidly in recent years, with the current centre, which was originally designed to support 4,500 patients now facing a patient list of over 14,000 and predicted to take on over 5000 more by the year 2028. That has left the 1970s facility unfit for purpose and raised growing safety worries among residents.
Gregor Poynton MP for Livingston constituency joined Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian, in visiting the site on Friday February 14 to meet with local campaigners, hear their concerns and take stock of the issues facing staff.
Commenting, Gregor Poynton MP said:
“I’ve seen first-hand the brilliant service the staff offer to the local community and now it is time to give them a building that befits their efforts.
“The current Medical Centre is into its fifth decade of service now and unfortunately it is starting to show. It has neither the capacity or facilities required to adequately provide for the local residents, and frankly they deserve better. East Calder is home to a growing number of young families and it is incumbent on the SNP Scottish Government to make sure they have the support they need.
“£400,000 is required to pay for the initial design phase and complete the business case to put in place all the money required for a new Medical Centre, and I am calling on the Scottish Government to provide these funds so the proposals can be moved forward. The bottom line is that there is no excuse, not to.
“The recent Labour budget delivers the largest funding settlement for Scotland in the history of devolution, providing the Scottish Government with an additional £1.5 billion in funding. The money is there for vital provisions like this. Scotland is heading in a new direction under this UK government and part of that journey is making sure the hard working, tax paying residents in places like East Calder no longer have to “make do” when it comes to local services.”
Mr Poynton and Mr Choudhury have jointly written to both Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and NHS Lothian, calling for funding for the business case for a new facility and asking for Government oversight of progress to ensure there are no further delays or rising costs that could jeopardise the project.
They have also requested a date for the forthcoming meeting between NHS Lothian and Scottish Government officials next month so they can monitor progress alongside the East Calder Health Centre Campaign Group.