Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital scandal beggars belief – Helen Martin

THE new Sick Kids hospital, having been described as a “death trap”, is mind-boggling with its bloomers.

The new Sick Kids remains closed amid fears over safety (Picture: Scott Louden)

No corridor smoke dampers were installed so a fire would send smoke through ventilation in sleeping quarters and block escape routes, plus three emergency power supplies were located in the same room so a failure could pass between them. What an effect on an emergency op! And all that was established just 24 hours before kids were to move in.

Discussion goes on between NHS Lothian, Unison and MSPs. But wouldn’t we all like to know how that happened, which construction or engineering companies were responsible for these deadly flaws, why they haven’t been named, and why they aren’t being sued for negligence that could have led to people, including sick kids, dying?

Why weren’t these shocking “works” inspected properly during the building process? Is an inspector or an inspection system to blame? Shouldn’t these crucial safety procedures have been signed off or the work corrected before building continued?

Were the guilty parties paid for the work? Shouldn’t they be fined, or jailed?

The potentially lethal problems won’t be resolved and the hospital opened for another year, and even by then the inquiry into this disaster, like other major national inquiries, may not be completed.

By then will the firms responsible still even exist, and, if not, would the massive costs hit the public purse?

And will the public ever get to know who was responsible?