Almost £20 million in additional costs has been identified due to problems at two Belfast Health Trust buildings. Daniel McCrossan, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, described this as "such terrible waste."
The Belfast maternity hospital faces nearly £10 million in new costs, pushing its total project cost over £100 million. This building, on the Royal Victoria Hospital site, is already tens of millions of pounds over budget and more than a decade behind schedule. The latest issue stems from chemical flushing, intended to address bacteria in the water system, which has damaged pipework, requiring over 2,200 defective valves to be replaced. Work to replace these valves is currently underway.
Meanwhile, the Acute Mental Health facility, opened in 2019 on the Belfast City Hospital site, has incurred £9.4 million in costs for repairs and rehousing patients. Patients are not expected to return to this facility until February 2029.
The Department of Health (DoH) stated that the extra building costs are "disappointing" but stressed the importance of completing the projects. The DoH and Belfast Trust are reviewing the factors that have led to these cost increases and delays.