A MEDICAL gas pipe issue at the long-awaited new maternity hospital in West Belfast will be fixed "as soon as possible", the Health Minister has said.
The new hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital site is already ten years behind schedule after numerous delays but it was hoped to be finally open next year.
The Belfast Trust took possession of the five-storey building in March and began a "clinical commissioning phase" – a process of ensuring a safe transition of service to the new site. However, during testing of water outlets, high levels of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were discovered in the water system.
In a written statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Wednesday, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: "At the time I expressed my deep frustration with the ongoing delays to this vital new facility and a further issue that became known to me only on the morning of our debate.
"I know Members share my concerns about the new Maternity Hospital and I wanted to provide a written update on the issue. I am advised that the medical gas pipe issue was raised by Belfast Trust in November 2023 as part of the contractual handover process for the building.
"It was detailed in the handover documentation as a “caveat” which is in essence a defect which was known at the point of handover. In recent days I have again met the Trust and it has assured me the issue with the medical gas pipework will be remedied as swiftly as possible.
"I have been advised the cost to resolve the issue will be approximately £50,000.
"Although the defect had been identified for some time, the Belfast Trust and Departmental Officials had only recently received a report into the options for correcting the problem.
"I have been informed that the work going on in parallel to test the water systems regrettably, but unavoidably, contributed to the delay in the production of this report.
"The Trust has advised that they will work to ensure that the issue is fixed as quickly as possible and that it will not add any further to the delays which I know Members are rightly concerned about.
"While my frustrations remain, the primary focus must be on satisfactorily resolving the water supply issues and securing the opening of the new Maternity Hospital as expeditiously as possible."
