NHS Grampian was warned about ventilation issues for new hospitals before work even began

NHS Grampian was warned about ventilation issues at two new builds before work even began, a review has revealed.

Papers obtained by the BBC suggest the health board was advised of problems with the plans for the Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre at Foresterhill before the ground was even broken.

As previously reported in The Press and Journal last month, ventilation and concerns around infection control have delayed the project.

Last month it was reported that parts of the hospitals at Foresterhill could potentially need to be pulled out and replaced amid concerns around ventilation and water systems.

Following a new Freedom of Information request, the BBC has revealed that NHS Grampian was warned about the issues at the Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre in 2020 – before construction began.

A report released through freedom of information laws shows “multiple concerns” were raised in 2020 and those concerns “do not appear to have been addressed”.

NHS Grampian said it was addressing the points raised by the review.

Questions raised in Holyrood

Following the revelation of the three years of prior knowledge, questions were raised about the planning process at Holyrood.

Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson told the Scottish Parliament: “We created NHS Assure in June 2021 to provide the critical oversight to projects being taken forward by local health boards.

“The report being referred to today was conducted by NHS Assure demonstrating the value of them having this greater role in these projects.

“Clearly a crucial element in any large capital project is ongoing review and refinement of the agreed design, in particular, the mechanical, electrical and infection prevention and control aspects.

“These are now all independently reviewed by NHS Assure for such projects and taken forward by local health boards.”

North East Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said afterwards: “Waking up to another hospital infection control scandal would be viewed as catastrophic by any government. But for the SNP it is just another day of the week.

“The Baird and Anchor are just the latest hospital projects to run years late, millions in the red but still somehow remaining shrouded in secrecy.

“The SNP can’t have it both ways – NHS Assure was set up to prevent another Queen Elizabeth University Hospital or Sick Kids. Yet Michael Matheson hid from that burden of responsibility and threw a health board under the bus.

“It is now crystal clear the new health secretary wasn’t left Humza Yousaf’s notes on the Baird and Anchor.

“Ministers should be reaching out to help get this vital hospital and children’s unit open — but it looks like NHS Grampian has been left to handle this mess on its own, because Mr Matheson won’t take his responsibilities seriously.”

The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre were both meant to open in 2020, but a series of delays have increased the overall project cost to £261 million – more than double the original estimate.

Groundworks were started in December 2018, and ground was first broken in August 2021.

It is hoped the Anchor Centre will open in October this year, with the Baird Family Hospital planned for September 2024.

The Scottish Government has agreed to cover the extra £16m needed for the project, as well as further costs if parts of the hospitals do need to be redesigned.

NHS Grampian ‘working to improve’ highlighted areas

A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: “We welcome the robust scrutiny that NHS Assure brings to major infrastructure projects like The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre.

“We are actively working with them to improve the areas highlighted in the KSAR report, a high proportion of which relate to governance.

“Many of the points raised are due to changes in guidance and process, that came following issues with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow, and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, in Edinburgh.

“In the majority of cases, our teams were already aware of and actively working to address the issues and opportunities raised, prior to the publication of the KSAR.

“Our IPC team is now embedded within the project board delivering these complex clinical buildings, so that when the Anchor Centre and Baird Family Hospital open their doors, they will provide the best possible levels of care for patients.”