As in the previous occasion the arguments put forth by some health professionals claim that expertise centralised in one site produces better results while the others say that this must be balanced by the likely inconvenience to patients, especially those who are vulnerable.
Gathering expertise in one place is an important argument when a pool of knowledge is essential for the most critical and cutting-edge procedures, such as cancer care, and where acknowledged expertise helps recruit the very best practitioners.
Eye Pavilion's former clinical director, Dr Hector Chawla, remains as opposed to moving surgery to Livingston now as he was in 1998 stating that only if a massive benefit was there would it go against such eminent opinion. However presently saving a few pounds hardly counts when NHS Lothian's total budget of £870 million only suggests there are several other places to look for efficiencies which do not adversely affect acute services.
What is obvious however is that the health board has a fight on its hands just as in 1998.