RVH halt transfer to new £43 million complex

Four floors of the Royal Victoria Hospital’s new multi-million pound hospital block in Belfast will remain vacant over the winter because of a Department of Health directive to save money.

Patients and staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital who had been due to transfer to the modern new complex from old antiquated wards will now have to wait until next April.

The new £43 million facility was opened in June ahead of schedule and under budget in the autumn. However only four floors were opened, leaving levels 2, 5,6 and 7 empty.

The Health department has to find savings of £17 million across all trusts in Northern Ireland, and in order to comply with this directive the RVH have had to implement a contingency plan to save £2 million, thus halting the complete transfer of patients to the new complex.

Royal medical Director Dr Ian Carson said: “We deeply regret having to delay occupying our new building. It’s more that patients and staff will have to continue receiving and giving care in accommodation which is far from ideal, for longer than we would wish.”

A spokesperson for the RVH said that the only alternative to delaying the opening of this new facility would be to curtail existing clinical services for patients.

The health union, Unison, called on the power-sharing executive at Stormont to make extra money available to allow the new hospital building to operate to its full capacity.

"We call on the Northern Ireland Executive to allocate the appropriate amount of money necessary," said Patricia McKeown.

"The consequences for health care will be dire if a flagship hospital cannot open its doors and other trusts cut back at a time when winter pressures are upon us." (AMcE)