Health / Health secretary understands need for new hospital but wider financial challenges remain
THE SCOTTISH health secretary says he understands the need for a new hospital in Shetland despite the government’s financial challenges.
Neil Gray, whose brief also includes social care, was speaking on Wednesday as part of a trip to Shetland in which he visited the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick as well as a care home and medical practice.
The SNP MSP also spoke to the local NHS team and Shetland Islands Council leader Emma Macdonald.
Work continues in the background on the prospect of a replacement Gilbert Bain given the hospital’s increasing age.
That led to NHS Shetland chairman Gary Robinson saying he believed it was still a case of “when, not if” the isles got a new hospital.
Gray, who represents Airdrie and Shotts but is originally from Orkney, said the government is not pausing projects because it does not understand the need.
He told BBC Radio Shetland: “I clearly do [understand the need] and there was previous support for work to be done to start to advance that for the Gilbert Bain.”
But Gray said the financial reality the government faces is increased inflation, particularly on construction.
The cabinet secretary also said the Scottish Government is receiving less from Westminster for capital projects.
“It’s a financial reality that we cannot bridge that gap,” Gray said.
“We need to look at reviewing those projects. But we’re not sitting back and just accepting that they cannot happen – we’re working across government to look at alternative forms of finance so that some of these projects can go ahead.”
He added that all NHS construction projects have “demonstrated their need” but said there will need to be difficult conversations about which ones come first.
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