SCOTLAND'S Health Secretary has pledged an extra £11.5 million to help the NHS recover from the impact of the Covid crisis as he formally opened the country's first National Treatment Centre.
Humza Yousaf visited the new eye centre at the NHS Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank – which is the first phase of the new National Treatment Centre and also forms part of the planned expansion of the hospital.
While the eye centre began seeing patients in November 2020 its official opening was delayed because of the pandemic.
Work on the second phase of the new centre is already under way, with this expected to be completed by June 2023, allowing for thousands more hip and knee replacements and other orthopaedic procedures to be carried out each year, along with expanded facilities for testing and surgery.
READ MORE: Parents of children suffering from Long Covid hit out at Tories' mask demands
The centre has already trebled its endoscopy programme during the pandemic, allowing more people to benefit from the procedure in which a camera is inserted into them.
Meanwhile, Yousaf pledged an additional £11.5m to help reduce waiting times as part of efforts to remobilise the NHS in the wake of coronavirus.
The Health Secretary said: “I am delighted to formally open the NHS Golden Jubilee Eye Centre, the first National Treatment Centre for NHS Scotland.
“This forms part of our capital programme to deliver a network of elective, diagnostic and treatment centres across Scotland and is the largest ever investment in elective care infrastructure in NHS Scotland with an overall investment of £330 million.”
Yousaf continued: “The centre here at the NHS Golden Jubilee has been operational since November 2020 to specifically support ophthalmology services.
“Due to the Covic-19 pandemic it is only now that we have been able to visit to see this crucial development in the way we deliver planned care.
“Not only has the centre started treating patients during such unprecedented times but it has increased the number of ophthalmology procedures undertaken by the NHS Golden Jubilee by almost 47%.
READ MORE: Naloxone: Ambulance crews able to use life-saving overdose drug
“I cannot thank the NHS staff here enough for their drive and determination to support planned care through this most difficult period.”
He added that “as part of the ongoing efforts here at the NHS Golden Jubilee I am pleased to announce an additional £11.5 million has been made available to support current activity going through this national facility”.
The Health Secretary stated: “This will provide targeted capacity to deliver activity for some of our most challenged specialities including diagnostic testing and orthopaedic surgery.”
And he pledged: “This is only two of many initiatives that will form part of our NHS Recovery Plan which this Government will publish in the coming weeks.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here