Hospital construction failings cost £146m – Scottish Labour

Failings around the construction and management of two new hospitals in recent years have cost a total of £146 million, Scottish Labour has said.

The party claims problems at the new Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow are down to the SNP’s mismanagement.

The Edinburgh hospital, formally known as the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, was hit by delays of more than a year-and-a-half before opening in March last year.

The health board paid £1.4 million a month to the consortium which built the facility, despite it being unused during this period.

In addition, it was revealed extra “enabling and equipment works” and a contract dispute cost NHS Lothian a further £91.6 million.

At the QEUH, at least £2.75 million was spent addressing issues with the water supply at its children’s hospital unit.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “The facts are clear – SNP mismanagement of the QEUH and Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital has led to a whopping bill of £146 million – money which could have been used to improve patient care.

“This is the price that Scotland pays for SNP failure.

“Both sites have been plagued with issues directly caused by SNP mismanagement, with the Edinburgh Sick Kids being delayed for years, and lives tragically being lost at the QEUH.

“The current NHS crisis may have been triggered by the pandemic, but years of SNP waste and mismanagement left our NHS ill-prepared to deal with increased pressure.

“Instead of being flagship new hospitals, both sites are now symbolic of SNP failures and mismanagement – with money wasted and lives put in danger as a result.”