Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary work 'to cost NHS more than £2 million'
Major work demanded by council bosses to save the city's crumbling eye infirmary site from ruin could cost an NHS trust more than £2 million, a court has heard.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust claims multi-million pound work is needed to comply with a 'wholly unnecessary' enforcement notice served by Wolverhampton Council last year.
It has already forked out £53,000 on work at Wolverhampton's former eye infirmary site despite discovering some buildings may be demolished in the future.
Ms Alison Ogley, on behalf of the trust, said: "This is an unfortunate case resulting in, what the trust considers, the unnecessary and avoidable waste of public money to resolve a dispute which should never have arisen.
“The trust deeply regrets having to divert valuable resources away from patient care in order to fund this litigation.
"The council is demanding the trust spend over £2 million on works to buildings which are redundant and may in any event be demolished.”
NHS v Council
The two authorities are currently locked in a courtroom battle after the council served the trust with the notice, ordering it to sort a raft of issues within seven months.
But carrying out all the 'major work' at the derelict Compton Road site would take more than a year to complete, Ms Ogley told Dudley Magistrates' Court.
She went on to claim the council have been aware of the deteriorating structure of the buildings as far back as 2011, when a report to the authority detailed concerns.
Ms Ogley told the court on Tuesday: “The council was aware of the structure of the buildings for many years.
"The trust has done everything within its power to dispose of the site as quickly as it could.
"It has taken a proactive and diligent approach to addressing any concerns the council has.
"There is no statutory obligation on any property owner to maintain a building.
"This is a case where the NHS, a responsible public body, has demonstrably acted in good faith."
Enforcement
The council served its enforcement notice last February after claiming the trust failed to carry out required repair work.
It has since said not all work was completed by the final September 20 deadline and could now seek prosecution.
But the NHS trust, which is calling for the notice to be ‘quashed’ or amended, lodged an appeal.
The eye infirmary, which opened in 1888, closed when services moved to New Cross Hospital and has stood empty since 2007.
The hearing continues.
