The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is confronting substantial cost overruns at two separate healthcare facilities. At the maternity hospital located on the Royal Victoria Hospital site, newly identified problems related to chemical flushing procedures have resulted in damage to the water system’s pipework. The trust has determined that more than 2,200 defective valves require replacement, with repair estimates reaching £7.8m, potentially rising to nearly £10m if 24-hour contractor operations are implemented. This additional expense pushes the maternity project’s total cost beyond £100m, extending a timeline that is already more than a decade behind schedule.
The maternity facility was transferred to the Belfast Trust in March 2024, but remained closed following the discovery of pseudomonas bacterium in the water system and subsequent complications. The chemical flushing process implemented to address the original bacterial contamination inadvertently caused the valve deterioration. According to engineering assessments, accessing many of the affected valves will require removal of substantial ceiling sections within the building. An investigation into the building handover and water system issues is expected to report later this year.
Separately, the Acute Mental Health facility at Belfast City Hospital has accumulated repair costs of £6m, with an additional £3.4m spent to prepare alternative accommodation at a south Belfast site to house displaced patients. The facility opened in 2019 but has experienced ongoing operational challenges. Current projections indicate patients will not return to this facility until February 2029.
The trust has declined to specify whether building contractors or taxpayers are bearing the repair expenses, citing ongoing engagement with legal representatives regarding liability matters. The Department of Health, which funds the trust, was approached for comment. Graham Construction, one of the joint contractors, stated that all water quality samples tested free from pseudomonas aeruginosa prior to handover, with tests independently verified by multiple parties, and that the company has had no involvement in facility management following the transfer.
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