Question reference: S6W-24641
- Date lodged: 19 January 2024
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 January 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to NHS Fife reiterating its commitment, in August 2023, to the development of two new purpose-built Community Health and Wellbeing Centres in Kincardine, in addition to Lochgelly, with plans having been developed over a number of years with its partners and local communities, and in light of the current health centre reportedly being condemned as unfit for purpose around 15 years ago, for what reason this work has not yet commenced; whether the reason is budget related, and what stream of unused funding could be used to finance this project.
Answer
As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed.
Kincardine and Lochgelly Medical Centres were not included within the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26, which identified the priority health capital projects for funding within that period. The Scottish Government will bring forward a revised Infrastructure Investment Plan in the spring, alongside the medium-term financial strategy, at which point we would hope that the fiscal outlook will be clearer.