Belfast Health Trust Under Scrutiny Over Maternity Hospital Delays

A member of Stormont’s health committee has questioned whether the Belfast Health Trust should be placed under “special measures” due to the ongoing delays and escalating costs associated with Belfast’s new maternity hospital. Senior trust executives and Department of Health officials were called before the committee following additional disclosures about the facility, which is now nearly a decade behind its original schedule. DUP MLA Diane Dodds informed The View that she “did not think anyone on the health committee today was satisfied with what they heard” during the committee session. It was revealed that, in the worst-case scenario for resolving the issues, there could be an additional delay of up to four years, incurring an extra cost of up to £9m. A potentially hazardous bacteria was initially detected in the hospital’s water systems in 2022, which means an opening date has not yet been set. Experts are currently conducting a review to assess the severity of the problem at the Royal Victoria Hospital site. Approximately £50,000 is allocated for repairing the most recent issue involving medical gas pipework. However, on Thursday, the committee was informed that the worst-case scenario for water pipe repairs could amount to many millions of pounds. A hospital trust or facility is designated for special measures if it is rated as “inadequate,” if concerns are raised about its leadership, or if it fails to implement sufficient improvements within a reasonable timeframe. Typically, an individual from outside the trust is appointed to oversee operations in such circumstances. During what was described as a fact-finding exercise into the problems at the maternity hospital, the committee’s temporary chair, Linda Dillon, stated she was “absolutely confused” after receiving a briefing from the trust’s interim chief executive, Maureen Edwards. “It is very comprehensive what you have given us, but I am confused still about where the responsibility lay,” Dillon remarked. She added, “Learning is one thing, but if there is accountability then that also needs to play its part.” Dillon further stated, “If there are people who didn’t do the right thing or who made a mistake or knew that something different should have been done, then we need to know and understand that, because it was public money.” Ms Edwards indicated that the comprehensive report on the pseudomonas bacteria issue at the hospital would outline three potential courses of action. She informed assembly members that the most severe outcome would involve replacing the entire water pipework, at an estimated cost of £7-9m, and could take three to four years. “I recognise, and I indeed share, the health committee’s frustration and the public’s frustration with the delays and the cost increases associated with the maternity hospital scheme,” she said. Ms Edwards also stated, “Our focus at this juncture is obviously to safely open a 21st century hospital that the mothers and babies of Northern Ireland deserve, but we know that needs to be safe.” Colin McGrath of the SDLP raised questions regarding the trust’s expenditure of public money and who was responsible for holding it accountable. Addressing Department of Health officials, he commented, “You are the guys who are supposed to be keeping an eye on these guys (the health trust) and the work they are doing.” McGrath further suggested, “If it were anywhere else, I would suspect, politely, these guys would be in special measures, they maybe as a trust can’t be trusted with public money in terms of delivering services, because they are going way over budget.” In September, the BBC disclosed that pseudomonas was again detected at the maternity hospital just weeks after the trust officially accepted the facility from the contractor. The trust took possession of the five-story building in March of this year, but elevated levels of the bacteria were discovered in water pipes a month later, following a four-week operational exercise and sample testing. Trust officials explained that while the former chief executive (Dr Cathy Jack) had signed for the building, responsibility for a project of that magnitude is not solely with one individual but rather with several groups, and the former chief executive had signed on behalf of all involved. The board’s chair, Ciaran Mulgrew, stated that it had been aware of all the problems since before 2023 and affirmed that “no-one is shirking responsibility.” Speaking on BBC NI’s The View on Thursday night, committee member DUP MLA Diane Dodds reiterated, “I don’t think anyone on the health committee today was satisfied with what they heard.” She continued, “I don’t think anyone was satisfied in relation to the answers around the pipework.” Dodds added, “I don’t think anyone was satisfied in relation to issues around accountability and how on earth the trust had managed to get themselves in this position.” She concluded, “I think they [the trust] have got to get on ahead and sort this out.” Earlier this year, the Northern Ireland Audit Office reported that the latest estimated completion date for the final phase of the maternity hospital is June 2025. Its report stated, “The original cost estimate was £57m, with costs now expected to be £97m.” The committee also heard about other issues, including fire alarms and nurse call buttons, which have since been resolved and are no longer considered red flag issues that could delay the opening. The BBC understands that nearly £200,000 was spent on the fire alarm problems, which had not been fully tested before the handover. Faulty nurse call alarms are now operational. Department officials and trust executives stated they were not aware of any other significant problems with the maternity hospital but acknowledged that no project could ever be guaranteed to be entirely problem-free. Clarification 10 December 2023: This article was updated following clarification from the Belfast Trust that Ms Edwards had accepted the handover of the maternity hospital and not Cathy Jack.