NHS Lothian has paid £28 million in repayments for delayed new Sick Kids hospital

The new Sick Kids hospital building is on track to be completed by January 25, NHS Lothian has said, as it was revealed the health board has paid over £28 million in repayments to a private company since 2018.

Picture: Scott Louden

The project has faced criticism after almost a decade of delays, and a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Liberal Democrats revealed NHS Lothian has paid £28,125,704 in annual service payments since February 2018.

This includes debt and interest repayments, lifecycle and facilities management and SPV costs.

Commenting on the £28 million payments, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton lamented the amount of money being handed over despite the hospital not yet being used to full capacity.

“Patients, parents and staff are exasperated that the opening of the new Sick Kids hospital has been subject to delay after delay,” he said.“These figures show that a private consortium has now been paid £28 million for a hospital that NHS Lothian has been unable to have firing on all cylinders. We've missed out on its 233-bed capacity when warnings about health care capacity have been at their most acute.

“There is a vast amount for the public inquiry to get to the bottom of, including how this project has been overseen by SNP ministers. More immediately we need confirmation that patients, staff and services will soon and finally be able to get the full benefit of what should be a world-class facility, and for bosses to set out how the full transfer of services will happen with the current pressures on the health service."

The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People was originally due to open in Winter 2012, but has been plagued by delays.

Problems included financial difficulties, bad weather and a serious flood after a hot water pipe burst over night.

The hospital was finally due to open in July 2019, but the move was cancelled at the last minute by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman after final inspections revealed the ventilation system in critical care did not meet national standards.

Further checks on the building revealed issues with drainage, water, electrical and fire systems.

The opening date was delayed until November 23, 2020, but this was put back again as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

NHS Lothian announced on Thursday that the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has moved to the RHCYP.

A range of other outpatient services and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences have already moved to the new site, while the Emergency Department remains at the old site at Sciennes.

All services in the departments of clinical neurosciences, formerly at the Western General, are also now being delivered from the new site after being moved across in July.

NHS Lothian refused to comment on the matter.

An inquiry is ongoing into the construction of the RHCYP, along with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

It will look at how issues impacting patient safety, including around ventilation, occurred, and whether or not they could have been prevented.

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