Midland Metropolitan Hospital: More delays for sprawling £350m site
Sandwell’s £350 million Midland Metropolitan Hospital could be hit by further delays after its revised opening date was thrown into doubt.
The ‘super hospital’ has already been delayed by six months but health chiefs have now admitted it could be even longer before it opens.
Chief Executive of Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust Toby Lewis said: "It is possible there could be delays but we are talking weeks."
Mr Lewis said ongoing engineering problems are causing delays - which is why the project was set back originally. He previously stated there would be no more delays after the original set back.
He told the meeting Black Country-based Carillion - the construction firm behind the build - was facing engineering problems.
Mr Lewis said: "Carillion are working through their timetable and we expect in the next six weeks to be in a position where we could be much firmer with a date.
"We have said before we would like to see the hospital opened by Spring 2019."
The delays have put a strain on health resources and means the trust will have to make it through another winter.
The trust also runs Sandwell General Hospital, in West Bromwich, Birmingham City Hospital, in Birmingham, and Rowley Hospital in Rowley Regis.
It has also been revealed the Midland Met hospital will be short of around 50 beds.
Trust bosses have carried out a review into bed capacity ahead of its opening.
This could result in an extra floor having to house beds.
Mr Lewis said trust bosses will be working on how to plug the gap of 50 beds.
He added: "That is not the report saying the hospital is too small. That is the report making clear we need hospital beds. It is important we need to be able to support people at home rather than use bed space."
The bed review has not been published yet.
At the start of the year, it was revealed a review would be carried out over fears there would be a bed shortage.
The new hospital, based on a 16-acre site at Grove Lane, is expected to have 670 beds and 15 operation theatres.
The new A&E department at the site will become the main emergency centre for Sandwell, with Sandwell General's current A&E to become an urgent care centre.
