Letters for new eye clinic appointments will begin “landing on doorsteps” in Lothian in two weeks’ time.
NHS Lothian said it was making progress with plans for the continued delivery of services normally housed at the Princes Alexandra Eye Pavilion, while the facility is closed for urgent repair work.
It comes after the health board announced two weeks ago that the specialist eye hospital would have to be temporarily vacated for around six months to allow for extensive work.
All appointments scheduled to take place from October 28 are being moved in the interim to other NHS Lothian facilities while the work on the plumbing system is carried out.
Services will be distributed across five locations in NHS Lothian – St John’s Hospital, Livingston, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, East Lothian Community Hospital and the Lauriston Building which is adjacent to the Eye Pavilion.
Inpatient services and day surgery appointments will be located at St John’s, while referrals for emergency ophthalmology cases will be treated at the Lauriston Building, a major outpatient centre which will also serve as temporary home to many of the Eye Pavilion’s clinics.
Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said great care was being taken to keep disruption to a minimum, but said there is likely to be some knock-on impact of such a busy facility being relocated.
He added: “We are devising a plan that allows us to vacate the PAEP building during this essential work, while ensuring that patients can continue to be seen and treated throughout.
“So far, we have identified five locations with the necessary clinically appropriate facilities where we can relocate outpatient clinics, however we are still working through the complex logistics this will involve.
“Patient and staff safety are always our chief consideration, and our teams are working hard to minimise disruption. Please be assured, patients will be given the details of their new appointment with updated times and locations as soon as we can, and we expect that to be within the next fortnight. They can expect to receive physical letters or electronic letters on the e-comms portal.
“However, the PAEP was our busiest location for outpatient appointments, with up to 1,600 slots every week, as well as more than 130 inpatient appointments. There is likely to be an impact on waiting times in ophthalmology, but also in other specialties where the new clinics are being relocated.
“Our migration plan has tried to spread the numbers evenly across our facilities and our clinical teams are working to prioritise patients with the most urgent need for treatment soonest.
“I would like to thank our patients for their understanding and patience and our teams at the Eye Pavilion and in other services which will also be affected for their hard work and co-operation. Moving a hospital is a massive logistical exercise and I want to acknowledge that this is a whole system effort that reaches far beyond ophthalmology.”
The extensive work will begin at the end of October and will involve the removal of two waste pipes as well as asbestos material from a sealed cavity where the pipework is located.
Contractors have advised that the work can be carried out more quickly and safely if the building is vacant for the duration.
The vast majority of patients due to be seen at the PAEP between now and Friday October 26are unaffected.
A small number of appointments due to take place before then will also need to be rescheduled in order to begin preparations for the temporary closure of the Eye Pavilion. These patients will be contacted individually by their clinical teams at least two weeks in advance, and do not need to do anything.
Those who already have appointments booked for dates from Monday October 28 will be contacted by letter, text or both in good time to arrange their new appointments, starting with patients who have appointments in the week beginning October 28.
