REDESIGN work is needed on two new hospitals before they can open in Aberdeen, NHS Grampian has said.
The Anchor Centre and Baird Family Hospital are being constructed next to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. They were originally due to open in 2020, but have both been hit by a series of delays.
Issues include around 170 sinks which will need to be removed from the design of the Baird Family Hospital on water safety grounds.
Scottish Conservative shadow public health minister and North East MSP Tess White has commented on this announcement:
“It’s extremely concerning that design faults are still being identified when these hospitals should have been up and running by now.
“The hospitals are now three years late and almost £100 million over budget, yet patients are frustratingly still no closer to knowing when these much-needed facilities will open.
“Worryingly, the additional cost of this redesign work still isn’t known yet at a time when NHS Grampian is already in the grip of a financial crisis.
“NHS Assure is responsible for preventing more problems like those seen at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow and the children’s hospital in Edinburgh but it’s fast becoming apparent that Aberdeen is facing the brunt of lessons not being learned.
“Rather than washing its hands of any responsibility, the SNP Government must treat this situation with the urgency it deserves and give reassurances that these serious issues will be addressed.”
