NHS Grampian chiefs have agreed to ask the Scottish Government for additional funding after the cost of constructing two new north-east hospital centres rose by £60 million.
The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre were originally due to open on the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen next year.
However, it has now been announced the Anchor Centre will not welcome patients until 2022, with the Baird unlikely to become operational until Spring 2023.
The project’s costs are now said to be £223.6 million – a 40% increase on the original £163 million estimate.
It comes after a design review sparked by the construction issues that have emerged at other Scottish hospitals.
Water contamination was found at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, while a new children’s hospital in Edinburgh has been sitting empty since July while major ventilation faults are repaired.
At yesterday’s health board meeting in Aberdeen, NHS Grampian board members were told construction and commissioning of the Anchor Centre will take 27 months and The Baird Family Centre will take 35 months.
Site preparatory works – which saw existing buildings demolished, roads realigned and a range of services diverted – have already been completed.
Project director, Jackie Bremner, said: “Once the business case approvals are in place, plans for the main programme of works will commence with our construction partner Graham Construction.
“This is a very exciting and important milestone that will allow the project to move to construction.
“It is also the result of five years of hard work for hundreds of people including clinical staff, patients, members of the public, designers and construction colleagues.
“These magnificent new facilities, will benefit patients and their families for many years to come.”
Professor Mike Greaves, clinical lead for Anchor, called it a “tremendous milestone”.
He added: “In addition, the centre will house facilities for clinical research aimed at the development of improved treatment regimens, and dedicated conference and teaching areas to assist in ensuring the maintenance of the highest standards of expertise of our staff.”
MSP Lewis Macdonald welcomed the announcement of the approval.
He said: “There will be concerns about delays to the project and the increased costs, but these are not problems of NHS Grampian’s making.
“It is now essential SNP Ministers give that same support to NHS Grampian patients and staff, and approve the Anchor Centre and the Baird Family Hospital without delay.”
Scottish Government approval is required before construction work can begin.
