NHS launches £18m legal action against building f irm over alleged air con defects
THE NHS has launched an £18.2 million legal action against the firm which built Scotland’s crisis-hit superhospital, The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Health bosses claim there are serious issues with the water network which feeds into the air conditioning system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glagow.
Now, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), which is at the centre of a public inquiry into the hospital, wants millions from the builders in compensation.
The cash will be used to completely replace the air conditioning system, which has allegedly started leaking, leading to corrosion of the pipework.
Last year, this newspaper revealed the board had launched an unprecedented £73 million claim against the same company, Brookfield Multiplex, for a plethora of significant defects and flaws with the building. Since opening in 2015, the £842 million hospital has been plagued with problems, from sewage leaks in operating theatres to contaminated water supplies.
Last night, an NHSGGC spokesman said: ‘A summons regarding the chilled water was certified in the Court of Session on April 29 2021. The defenders are Multiplex Construction Europe Limited and their parent company BPY Holdings LP. The loss and damage claimed is £18.2m.’ In 2019, we told how a leaked report said areas of the campus were at ‘high risk’ of infection from the water supply.
A Scottish Government report on the crisis published earlier this year ruled out the air con units as a source of infection.
Meanwhile, a memo sent around NHS chief executives this month called on all boards to reflect on the mistakes made at the QEUH.
Last night, Multiplex refused to comment on the legal action.