Repairs bill rises to £12 million for Wolverhampton NHS Trust
A hospital trust has been left facing a backlog of repairs and maintenance work worth up to £12 million, it has been revealed.
The multi-million pound list includes £167,400 which needs to be spent on asbestos works and £54,624 on fire alarm systems.
The total bill facing the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which oversees New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton as well as sites at West Park and Cannock, is £12m.
Chief operating officer Gwen Nuttall said urgent jobs were carried out immediately and the outstanding repairs needed did not affect patients.
She said: “Urgent or high-risk jobs are dealt with immediately in accordance with trust standards and those set by the Department of Health. This service operates 24/7 to ensure that no repairs are left to impact on the provision of services – keeping patients safe and our buildings in sound condition.
“Our current maintenance backlog has decreased significantly in the last year.
“Additional funding has been allocated to reduce this even further across the next five years.”
Other maintenance costs at New Cross include £67,854, needed for hot and cold water systems.
At West Park Hospital, in Park Road West, Park Dale, Wolverhampton, £11,000 is needed to repair pavements and zebra crossings.
Elsewhere, around £8,000 is needed for heating systems at Primrose Lane Health Centre, Fallings Park.
And at Cannock Chase Hospital, £83,000 is needed for work on ventilation systems.
The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request.
Reacting to the figures, Liberal Democrat campaigner Nick Machnik-Foster said: “Over the last few years the Tories have starved the public services we rely on of resources, running them down and pushing them into disrepair.
“From ceilings collapsing, sewage pipes bursting to central heating faltering, patient safety and care put at risk.
“The NHS in Wolverhampton now faces a staggering £12 million repair bill.
“We are raising the alarm we have an SOS for the NHS.”
