Delayed hospital upgrade could cost an extra £800m

Upgrades to a city-centre hospital could cost £800m more than originally planned, following government delays to the project.

Health bosses in Leeds have been told proposed building work at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) will not begin until at least 2032.

It means the new adult hospital, maternity centre and children's hospital are unlikely to be delivered until 2040, more than 20 years after plans for the overhaul were first announced.

Prof Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, expressed his concern that patients would need to "wait even longer for this much-needed new hospital".

A progress report on the project said the latest government decision to push back the upgrade, on top of previous delays, "could result in an estimated additional £800m cost" to the scheme.

The city centre infirmary is one of a string of projects put on hold following a review by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

According to a report published by the Department of Health and Social Care, the estimated cost of building work at LGI - part of the New Hospitals Programme - is now between £1.5 and £2.5bn.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust said the information used to come up with that figure, and delay the scheme, had not been shared.

The trust was previously told government funding would be in place.

Prof Wood said "We will continue to work with the NHP, to understand the detail of this announcement and what it means for our plans.

"Our key priority now will be to make sure that we can continue to provide safe, high-quality services for our patients in an appropriate environment."

The Trust has previously warned that parts of LGI were than 150 years old and not fit for purpose.

The organisation faces a maintenance backlog more than £650m, which includes the cost of keeping those ageing buildings running, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A spokesperson for The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said "This government has confirmed a funding plan and realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of LGI.

"We will work closely with trusts to accelerate progress where possible."

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