LAST week, the official sod-cutting ceremony for the county’s new community hospital in Haddington took place.

Among those attending was the SNP Cabinet Secretary for Health, Shona Robison.

Now I should be clear that no-one is happier than me to see construction of the new hospital now finally under way at last.

We desperately need this new facility, not least because East Lothian has the fastest growing population in Scotland.

I have campaigned for the new hospital since I was first elected in 2007, which is when it was due to begin construction.

The previous Labour-led Scottish Government had planned to build it using conventional public sector capital investment.

The incoming SNP Government switched it to their Futures Trust public/private finance model, sent it back to the drawing board and pushed it down the queue behind other projects, including Midlothian Community Hospital.

That has resulted in it being 10 years behind schedule.

Labour councillors in East Lothian have shown real commitment to the project and worked hard with the NHS and the local community to get it back on track.

However, we still face a reduction in the range of services compared with what is available at Roodlands now.

Indeed, Shona Robison herself has repeatedly backed NHS Lothian’s decision to axe day surgery under general anaesthetic, despite the views of staff and local people.

It means thousands of local people every year will now have to travel to Edinburgh, or even Livingston, to access some services currently available here.

Given the delays and downgrading of the new facility, you do have to admire Ms Robison’s chutzpah in turning up to cut the sod.

I’m glad we will soon have the new hospital in Haddington, but it is so disappointing we have had to wait so long, and cannot have the full range of services we currently do.