New cancer centre in Aberdeen faces another delay
Patients will now wait until May for Anchor Centre's opening
Last updated 3 hours ago
A new cancer centre in Aberdeen has been delayed again, with patients now facing a wait until May next year instead of December.
The Anchor Centre was originally meant to open back in 2020, and costs have ballooned from up to £134m to nearly £439m.
NHS Grampian says the latest delay's down to issues including water safety.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, said :
"It’s outrageous that the Anchor Centre has been delayed again and is now expected to open seven years late.
"Costing more than £300m over budget, this botched project has been a national scandal, making it the most severely delayed hospital opening in recent Scottish history.
"Staff concerns have been ignored while patients, who are stuck on waiting lists, are paying the price for the inexcusable handling of this at a time when NHS Grampian is already in the grip of a financial crisis.
"Urgent answers must be given by both NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government on why these mould, water safety and ventilation issues have still not been addressed after years of disruption and financial mismanagement.
"It’s unacceptable that lessons have not been learned with the mistakes made during the construction of Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh".
Health Secretary Angela Constance said:
"Safety is always paramount and NHS Grampian is implementing several changes to the new hospital as a result of clinical recommendations, following a design review. This has impacted completion date and cost.
"We are focused on ensuring the Anchor Centre and Baird Family Hospital opens as soon as it's safe to do so. We are clear we will not compromise on issues of patient safety."