Health chiefs: We’ve no idea of hospital’s cost or opening date

HEALTH chiefs have admitted they have no idea when a crisishit £150million children’s hospital will open or how much it will cost to fix building issues.

NHS Lothian bosses yesterday revealed patients and parents will be left in limbo as they continue to assess a series of problems including ventilation and drainage defects at the new hospital in Edinburgh.

The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People was set to open on July 9 but was delayed after significant flaws were identified.

As well as growing concerns over patient care, it has been disclosed that the cost of the hospital has soared to more than £500million over its lifetime – with taxpayers already paying £1.4million a month despite the building not being in use.

An Audit Scotland report published this week also estimated costs had soared by £90million.

NHS Lothian finance director Susan Goldsmith yesterday apologised for the delays, admitting she was ‘sorry and devastated’ about the impact.

But Mrs Goldsmith, who is leading the incident management team tasked with fixing the hospital, said reviews were under way to establish further remedial work which may need to be carried out. She also noted the procurement and building work process – which would be carried out by private consortium Integrated Health Solutions Lothian – was likely to hold up the project.

Speaking at the NHS Lothian board meeting, she said: ‘It’s just not possible at this point to give any indication of the timeline.

‘Just because of the nature of the work, it will take a bit of time.’

Consultancy firm KPMG is carrying out an independent audit of the hospital project and factors leading to the delay.

A second review is being led by Health Care Facilities Scotland and Health Protection Scotland to assess the hospital building and its design.

This report is not due until early September and Mrs Goldsmith said no decisions on admitting patients to the new hospital could be made until then.

But she stressed that should the review flag up further work, the project could face more delays.

Mrs Goldsmith also warned of the spiralling costs of the new hospital. She said that the health board would ‘require both capital and revenue resources’.

Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘It is outrageous that the health board still has no idea what is wrong with this hospital [and] how much more it is going to cost – what on earth is going on?’

Scottish Labour health spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘It is unacceptable that the board and the Health Secretary still have no sense of when, and if, the new hospital will open.’

Scottish Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘If your child is waiting for treatment, the “sit and wait” approach is just not good enough.’

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman dismissed reports the hospital will cost an extra £90million as ‘inaccurate and misleading’. She said the additional costs were part of a business case approved in 2015.

Miss Freeman added: ‘The timetable of work I set out in July, when issues with the ventilation came to light, remains on track. Work by Health Protection Scotland and Health Facilities Scotland is well under way.’

Comment – Page 16

‘What on earth is going on?’