Completion date for Edinburgh hospital further delayed

Remedial work on a delayed children's hospital in Edinburgh will be completed by January next year, NHS Lothian has announced.

Last-minute issues with ventilation prevented the opening of Edinburgh's new children's hospital last July.

The Scottish government then said the flagship facility will be open by the autumn of this year.

But this has been put back to January, 2021 with a date for the full transfer of services still to be announced.

Outpatient appointments started at the new building in July and already hosts the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

The £16m worth of remedial work, which continued through the lockdown period as hospitals were exempt from government restrictions, included fixing the air flow in critical care rooms.

The building was originally due to open in autumn 2017 but has faced a series of delays since.

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Susan Goldsmith, NHS Lothian's finance director said she was "delighted to have received a date by which the building works will be completed".

She added: "I know I am not alone, in looking forward to seeing all of our children's services together in the fantastic new facility that is the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

"I am delighted that we can now start to have discussions on the final phase of this move with greater clarity and conviction."

The new hospital will provide care for children and young people

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said "positive progress" had been made with the building despite the impact of coronavirus.

"We now have a confirmed date for safe completion of the final areas of the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People of January 2021.

"This is good news and I am very grateful to everyone for all of their work."