Murdo Fraser MSP has slammed the SNP for breaking a promise to the people of Perthshire by failing to build a state-of-the-art £35 million elective surgery unit at Perth Royal Infirmary (PRI).
The Scottish Conservative politician was reacting to the recent announcement that all new NHS building projects in Scotland are being put on hold due to budget pressures. The list of buildings includes the proposed elective surgery unit at PRI.
The SNP Government has told health boards that no money is currently available for the building schemes and have stated that they will roll-out a revised infrastructure plan in the spring.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “This is a broken promise by the SNP Government to the people of Perthshire and will be a massive blow to all the patients who would have used the facility. The centre at PRI was said to deal with a range of procedures including breast surgery, gynaecology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, dermatology and ear, nose and throat treatments, so patients waiting to receive treatments for these issues will be bitterly disappointed.
“The shocking news is a blow to many patients not just in Perthshire but across Scotland, and all caused by the SNP’s economic incompetence. They launched a disastrous tax-and-cut budget which has received a backlash from many quarters. I can’t remember a time when we have seen so many bodies and organisations united in opposition to it.”
Mr Fraser continued: “I did suspect that we may not see the planned elective surgery unit being built at PRI after the Scottish Conservatives recently received data which confirmed there had been no communication between the former disgraced Health Minister and NHS Tayside regarding the proposal for at least a year. However, it is deeply disappointing now to hear the plan has been firmly put on the back burner.
“We were initially promised that the elective surgery centre would be built by the end of this year, but instead we see another broken promise by this incompetent SNP Government. It will no doubt try and blame Westminster for this decision, but had construction started when originally promised the building would have been nearly finished by now. Perthshire and Scotland deserve a lot better than this.”
