Health officials have acknowledged that the opening date for a new hospital ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, consisting of modular buildings from Portakabin, remains uncertain. This 30-bed facility, designed for patients undergoing knee and hip surgeries, was largely completed last year. However, a safety review uncovered issues related to ventilation, fire safety, and flooding, prompting work on the project to be suspended.
NHS Forth Valley has indicated that they cannot confirm an opening timeline until a viable technical solution to these problems is approved. Initially planned to open in 2022 as part of the National Treatment Centre (NTC) initiative aimed at boosting surgical capacity, the project faced significant setbacks after construction only began in 2022.
Last year, NHS Assure, the construction oversight body for health projects, raised concerns about proceeding with the ward without necessary modifications. Their inspections identified two critical and 19 major deficiencies within the project. These included inadequacies in the fire safety strategy, non-compliance with various NHS guidelines, and insufficient details regarding pre-commissioning checks. NHS Assure warned that failure to rectify these issues could jeopardize the safety of both patients and staff.
New healthcare facilities cannot be opened to the public without an acceptable review from NHS Assure. Meanwhile, as part of the NTC project, two additional operating theatres and an MRI scanner have already been installed at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and are currently operational.
A representative from NHS Forth Valley stated that efforts have been underway over recent months with both the contractor and NHS Assure to resolve outstanding technical challenges related to pipework and fire compliance regulations. A proposed solution has been submitted for building control assessment, and they are awaiting feedback.
Once this solution receives approval from all involved parties, a comprehensive work plan will be developed to implement necessary changes along with a schedule for completing this work. NHS Forth Valley confirmed that the capital costs of the project remain within the original budget estimate of approximately £10 million.
In other news related to local sports events, BBC Scotland will provide live coverage of the East Kilbride versus Falkirk match in the third round of the Scottish Cup on December 2nd. Additionally, Queen’s Park is set to face Partick Thistle in an all-Championship third-round clash.