£335m Sandwell super hospital to have 135 fewer beds

The report, compiled by former NHS consultant for more than 30 years, John Lister, says this will mean a 17 per cent reduction in the number of beds the Trust provides.

It also argues that the build would cost more to be privately funded than if public funded options were put in place.

It comes as a blow to health bosses who have championed the site as the future of healthcare in Sandwell providing vastly improved services and the 'centralisation of services for increased efficiency'.

However, Mr Lister argues that 78 per cent of the proposed efficiencies are dependent upon savings on pay – with a near-halving of numbers of non-clinical staff. The trust announced earlier this month that 450 posts were to be axed.

Work on the hospital, which will feature 670 beds and 15 operating theatres, is already under way in Grove Lane, Smethwick, but the planning of the new unit, which has been dubbed a super hospital, was called into question in Mr Lister's privately commissioned report at a meeting this week.

Hospital bosses said they 'welcomed the scrutiny' of the new facility. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Lister said: "This is a hospital based on wishful thinking. They want to run it with 135 fewer frontline beds but with the population increasing and people needing more services this is a massive gamble.

"We are not saying to stop building this hospital but what we are saying is that we need to keep a close eye on the quality of care. At present this is a disaster on the way that can be stopped."

The report, which has been compiled in co-operation with the Birmingham TUC, also queries the location of the build. Mr Lister continued: "This is a long way from the body of Sandwell and the consultation on it was a somewhat nine years ago – budgets on the NHS were improving then but we are in a different landscape nows."

A Trust spokesman said: "The Trust welcomes scrutiny on this 'once in several generations' project.

The Trust published our own Public Health Plan in 2014, and we continue to work hard to play our part."

The hospital is due to open in 2018.