Carillion crisis: MP urges work to continue on Midland Met Hospital
An MP is urging the government to ‘get money flowing’ so workers can get back on site at the £350 million Midland Metropolitan Hospital following the collapse of Carillion.
John Spellar, the MP for Warley, said that the ‘super hospital’ – set to be complete by spring next year – could not be left as a ‘monument to incompetence’.
The politician also warned the government that workers would start to find jobs elsewhere unless funding was freed and teams pulled back on site by early next week.
It comes it was announced yesterday that banks would be taking ‘emergency measures’ to support sub-contractors caught up in the Carillion collapse.
Mr Spellar said: “The big message today is to get the site working again early next week and get the money flowing. This cannot be left as a monument to incompetence – we need the government to free up the funding and send out the message that they can pull their teams back together. If this doesn’t happen soon then people will start to find posts elsewhere.
“This is clear message to the government that this will end up costing more a lot more money the longer it is left – get people back now.” The opening of the Midland Met, which will replace Sandwell General as the main hospital in the borough, has already been delayed by at least six months to spring 2019, due to engineering problems, including fitting pipes and wires. It is set to have around 700 beds and 15 operation theatres. It will provide maternity, children’s and inpatient adult services to an estimated half a million people.
Toby Lewis, chief executive of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said they were ‘working closely’ with HM Treasury and The Hospital Company to ensure ‘alternative arrangements’ were put in place for construction of the hospital.
