Councillors are set to launch a new investigation to determine whether major failings in the construction of a Northumberland hospital should be subject to a public inquiry. The opening of the new hospital in Berwick has been delayed to 2028, and parts of the completed construction work are being stripped out.
Gateshead-based Robertson Construction has taken over the site after the original contractor, Merit, went into administration. NHS chiefs recently confirmed that remedial work would be required to remove mechanical and electrical systems, pipework, internal walls and fittings, as well as the building’s façade and steel frame system – with only the main structural steelwork remaining in place.
Councillor calls for inquiry
The mounting costs and delays have sparked anger in the border town. Berwick East councillor Georgina Hill told a Northumberland County Council meeting on Tuesday that there had been a “significant catalogue of failings” which might warrant a public inquiry, including questions around Merit’s appointment and what quality checks were carried out on their work.
At a meeting of the council’s health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee, Coun Hill proposed the creation of a new task and finish group to look into the project in greater detail. That group will produce a set of questions the council wants clarity on from the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, ahead of hospital bosses being called to attend a County Hall meeting in January.
Next steps for the group
The group will also be tasked with exploring whether the threshold has been met for a public inquiry to be staged and if the council should write to the Government to request one.
Coun Hill, an independent, said: “A public inquiry would serve the public interest and justice. If people are pointing the finger, for want of a better phrase, it is right that there is an objective funding of facts. So it is fair to everyone involved if there is this independent assessment. It is also a case of lessons learned, as well, for hospital projects.”
Liberal Democrat Isabel Hunter, who represents Berwick West with Ord, agreed that the council should probe more deeply into the issue. She said: “I think that is a good idea. We might not meet the threshold but at least to the people in Berwick it can be seen that we looked at it.”
NHS trust response
Coun Hunter added: “It is not to have a go at the NHS and the trust, it is to get to the bottom of what has happened, where we have got to, and how we can have lessons learned and move forward.”
The NHS trust said last month that it hoped to have the majority of the new hospital’s construction work completed by 2028. Damon Kent, Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management’s managing director, said in October: “We know that everyone is frustrated with the position we are in. We are also very disappointed and want to assure everyone that we are doing everything we can to progress our new hospital as quickly as we can.
“It has been a difficult period as there are complexities around a new contractor taking over the incomplete work of another company. Although it has been quiet on site, a huge amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes over the last few months, and we are very pleased to be working with Robertson Construction. Our key priority must always be to ensure that our new Berwick hospital meets all the required standards, and we want it to be the best it can for our patients, staff and future generations.”
