Architect ‘warned of problems at hospital’

‘Opened a can of worms’

A LEADING architect has claimed that he warned of problems with a delayed £150million children’s hospital two years ago.

Robert Menzies believes meeting deadlines to finish the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh was prioritised over patient safety because of political pressure.

Mr Menzies, who has now retired but has 40 years’ experience, is preparing a list of ‘design flaws’ which he will offer to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman.

Among them is the failure to include a large lift to accommodate orthopaedic patients needing bulky equipment.

Another is a child protection suite with a corridor separating two rooms, originally intended to have a two-way mirror between them.

The opening of the hospital, scheduled to take place this month, has been postponed indefinitely because of issues with the ventilation system.

Miss Freeman has ordered extensive further checks on the building, but Mr Menzies said: ‘She may have unwittingly opened a can of worms. I’ll furnish her with a list of all noncompliance issues I’m aware of. I witnessed a decision-making process which repeatedly placed the need to meet deadlines ahead of patient safety.’

Mr Menzies worked for a firm that was involved in the hospital’s early design stages.

Susan Goldsmith, finance director for NHS Lothian, said: ‘The delay has been caused by issues completely unrelated to any of the points made by Mr Menzies. It is a problem with ventilation in critical care identified during the final checks.’