'Lessons not learned' over Aberdeen hospital plan concerns

Concerns about ventilation and water systems at planned new Aberdeen hospital buildings show lessons have not been learned, an MSP has said.

The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre were both meant to open in 2020.

NHS Grampian said ventilation and water systems were now being reviewed. The overall project cost is now £261m - so far £98m more than the original figure.

MSP Tess White said it was concerning in the wake of previous concerns about hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

NHS Grampian's project director Jackie Bremner told a health board meeting on Thursday afternoon there had been several challenges with the project, not least the impact of the Covid pandemic.

There were also delays in the wake of a work fatality on site, as well as a contractor going into liquidation.

She said there now had to be infection control assurances for the "large, complicated" project, which could ultimately lead to more delays and additional costs if redesigns were needed.

The project director also confirmed assurance had been received from the Scottish government for additional funding.

Scottish Conservative North East Scotland MSP Tess White said she was "massively concerned" about the ongoing situation.

"We are years overdue, massively over budget," she told BBC Scotland.

"The Baird Family Hospital was supposed to be built years ago, so was the Anchor Centre, it's still not been built. The Anchor Centre won't be open until October, and the Baird Family Hospital still won't be ready for at least another 18 months.

"I think the people in the north east have been massively let down. This is a major blow to patients."

She added: "The key issue here is that there were major issues with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow and the children's hospital in Edinburgh. Lessons have not been learned and these issues have arisen.

"It's alarming. I think it's shocking."

It is directly because of the last-minute delay to the opening of Edinburgh Children's Hospital, and the well documented problems with the water and ventilation systems at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow that we are seeing such scrutiny of new healthcare buildings.

What went wrong and the consequences for patient safety are now part of a major public inquiry.

But the Scottish government could not afford to wait for the outcome of that to learn lessons. That's why they set up a new body, NHS Assure, to ensure that infection control measures were an integral part of all new hospitals and healthcare projects.

While construction of the Anchor and Baird hospitals started in 2021, the pressures of the pandemic appear to have delayed or interrupted the involvement of infection prevention specialists, but they have now raised concerns about the design of the water and ventilation systems.

We probably give little thought to how taps or drains can become breeding grounds for bacteria that are harmless to most of us, but can be deadly for the most vulnerable patients. Or how important air change can be to protect people with compromised immune systems, but in a hospital, it is a vital part of patient safety.

It's not yet clear how long it will take to resolve these issues and what it might mean in terms of delays or increased costs, but it's much better to get it right before the first patients arrive.

The latest overall cost estimate of £261m is up £16m on the most recent previous estimate.

The expected openings are now this October for the Anchor Centre and September next year for the Baird.

The buildings will be located next to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).

The Anchor Centre will provide services for haematology and oncology patients.

The Baird Family Hospital will provide maternity and breast-screening services, as well as a neonatal unit and operating theatre.

NHS Grampian has described the project - the health board's biggest ever - as an "exciting new development".