Problems at two Belfast Health and Social Care Trust buildings could amount to almost £20m in additional costs, the BBC has learned. Newly-discovered issues with the Belfast maternity hospital could add almost £10m to the project's spiralling costs, while the amount spent on repairs and rehousing patients at the Acute Mental Health facility has now reached £9.4m. The maternity building on the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) site is already tens of millions of pounds over budget and more than a decade behind schedule.
The new costs mean the project will exceed £100m. The Department of Health, which provides funding to the trust, has been approached for comment by BBC News NI. It is understood the latest problem at the maternity hospital has been caused by chemical flushing aimed at dealing with the original issue of bacteria in the water system.
The flushing process has caused damage to the pipework, with more than 2,200 defective valves needing replaced. A report seen by the BBC estimates a repair bill of £7.8m, with an option of 24-hour contractor working bringing that close to £10m. Work to replace the valves is now under way.
Investigation into new maternity hospital 'a clever ruse' not to answer questions 'Shocking': More delay for ten years overdue £97m maternity hospital New Belfast maternity hospital could face a further 28-month delay The new facility is due to replace the existing Royal Jubilee maternity hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital, but the opening date remains in doubt because of the ongoing repair issues. The building was handed over to the Belfast Trust in March 2024, but the discovery of the potentially dangerous pseudomonas bacterium in the water system and other problems has meant the hospital has remained closed. An investigation by trust managers into the building handover and subsequent water system issues was launched earlier this year.
The BBC understands it will report this month. In Freedom of Information responses to the BBC, the Belfast Trust refused to say if the repair costs were being met by relevant building contractors or from taxpayer money. In a series of questions from the BBC, the trust repeatedly answered: "The trust and its legal representatives continue to engage with independent experts on matters of liability and cannot provide a further update currently." Belfast Trust also refused to say if it was involved in legal proceedings in relation to liability for repair costs.
The trust took possession of the five-storey building from the joint contractors, Graham Construction and Bam Ireland (GBHP), and then began a "clinical commissioning phase" - a process of ensuring a safe transition of service to the new site. Just a few months later in July, the trust said that during testing of water outlets, high levels of pseudomonas aeruginosa were discovered in the water system. Pseudomonas infection killed three babies at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Hospital in 2012.
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