Edinburgh’s Eye Pavilion: Tories demand new hospital is included in Scottish Government budget

MSPs are due to debate the SNP’s spending plans on Thursday and without an overall majority the government needs support from at least one other party to get the budget passed.

Lothian MSP and Tory chief whip Miles Briggs said his party had agreed to push for the new hospital – which was expected to receive £45m of capital funding until the government told NHS Lothian in December it would no longer fund the project – as part of its budget demands. He said he hoped Lothian MSPs from other parties would support the call.

There is already been cross-party pressure for the government to reconsider its position and Mr Briggs has started a petition urging a rethink.

The current Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion on Chalmers Street is deemed no longer fit for purpose and the government signed up for a new eye hospital at Little…