Euan McGrory: Could Sick Kids building problems not have been foreseen?

Any parent will tell you how lucky we are to have the Sick Kids hospital in Edinburgh.

The new Sick Kids hospital has been delayed further.

I am eternally grateful for the care they have given to my family over the years. And I know from your letters and online messages that I am far from alone.

There is no question that the hospital’s dedicated staff offer first class care - despite the massively outdated facilities in which they continue to work.

Staff were originally told they would be moving into their state-of-the-art new home at Little France six years ago.

The wrangles over land which were responsible for much of the initial delay were very difficult to foresee.

The same cannot be said so easily of the latest hold-ups which relate to what seem to be basic design features.

It is hugely frustrating for patients and parents to hear that problems such as a shortage of fire alarms and insufficient drainage are being identified only at this stage.

Building a hospital is far more complex than building a house, but could these issues really not have been foreseen earlier?

It is incumbent on the contractors IHSL Ltd and Multiplex to get around the table with NHS bosses to find a solution, commit to a new opening date and pull out all the stops to make it is delivered this time.