The estimated cost for Aberdeen’s new Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Cancer Centre has now escalated to over £438 million, marking a £15 million increase since last month’s forecast. The project, initially anticipated to cost up to £134 million and open in 2020, has encountered significant delays and spiralling expenses over its timeline.
A report scheduled for discussion by NHS Grampian indicates revised target opening dates: the Anchor Cancer Centre is now expected to commence operations in July this year (2026), while the Baird Family Hospital is slated for June 2027. Both facilities were originally planned to be operational by 2020.
Cost projections for the ambitious healthcare development have steadily climbed. Scottish government infrastructure delivery documents published last month cited an investment figure of £423.6 million. The latest figure presented by NHS Grampian, £438.6 million, represents a substantial increase from earlier estimates which, as recently as February 2020, put the cost at £223.6 million, up from an original approximation of £160 million.
The protracted timeline and escalating budget are attributed to a series of challenges. These include issues identified with water and ventilation systems, as well as broader design concerns.
Meanwhile, a design review, specifically focused on Healthcare Acquired Infection (HAI), has necessitated “several changes to the new hospital,” according to the Scottish government. NHS Grampian board papers from 2020 also pointed to market conditions, inflation within the construction sector, and initial budget planning that “did not sufficiently reflect the complexity of the project” as contributing factors.
The project has also been impacted by difficulties in construction during the Covid-19 pandemic and a lack of capacity for infection control and prevention staff to fully review plans at its height.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, who is leading a debate in parliament on Thursday on the struggles of NHS Grampian, said: “It’s absolutely appalling that the opening dates for both hospitals have been pushed back yet again — more than 10 years after the plans were first approved.
“The astronomical cost of these projects are spiralling out of control and worryingly, there is no sign of this stopping.
“Urgent answers must be given by both NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government on why these delays have still not been addressed after years of disruption and financial mismanagement.
“Staff and patients, who are stuck on waiting lists, are paying the price for the inexcusable handling of this at a time when NHS Grampian is already in the grip of a financial crisis.
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“Rather than washing its hands of any responsibility, the Scottish Government must come clean on why these costs have rocketed and work with the health board to address these delays once and for all.”
Learnings from the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry are now influencing the oversight of the Aberdeen project. The inquiry, established in 2019, investigates issues related to the construction of other major Scottish hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, focusing on aspects such as ventilation and water contamination. The report to NHS Grampian states that the new estimated opening dates for the Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Cancer Centre will now be subject to weekly review, reflecting insights from this inquiry.
The Baird Family Hospital is designed to offer maternity, gynaecology, and breast-screening services, alongside a neonatal unit and operating theatre. The Anchor Cancer Centre will provide vital outpatient and day-patient oncology and haematology services.
