‘High-risk maintenance’ backlog sees slight fall but focus is on new facilities

NEARLY a third of all NHS Scotland buildings need repairs and in some board areas 50 per cent of the maintenance backlog is classed “high-risk and significant”.

While the number of buildings needing significant attention has reduced slightly, five per cent still require major investment.

Overall, 44 per cent of the NHS Estate needs high-risk and significant maintenance as of 2015, down from 47 per cent in 2014.

Some board areas such as NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and Orkney have as little as 50 per cent of their buildings in good condition – although Balfour Hospital in Orkney is set to be replaced.

The report also highlights that nearly a fifth of NHS properties Scotland-wide are classed as underused.

The public spending watchdog Audit Scotland says that by last year the total cost of outstanding maintenance required to bring buildings up to an adequate standard across NHS Scotland was £898 million.

Audit Scotland says NHS boards are planning around £2.8 billion investment over the next five years, but much of this relates to property, medical and IT equipment and vehicles.

The capital budget will more than double from £202.5min 2015/6 to £494.5m in 2016/7, but the report says the increase will largely be spent on four new facilities.

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh, the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, the new Scottish National Blood transfusion service centre and a new hospital in Orkney will together cost £215m, after which the Scottish Government has said the capital budget will drop again.