Midland Met Hospital no longer on track to open to patients next spring
A new West Midlands super hospital is no longer on track to open to patients by spring 2024.
The first round of patients at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) are now expected to be treated from autumn next year instead.
Health bosses are “confident” construction workers will hand over the keys to the Sandwell hospital by spring, but said it will take a further 26 weeks to induct staff and carry out clinical testing scenarios.
It’s another blow for the much-delayed hospital, which was originally set to open in 2018.
Work on MMUH, which is sited on Grove Lane in Smethwick, first came to a halt with the collapse of construction giant Carillion. It also suffered further setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When completed, the new hospital will have more than 700 beds, 11 operating theatres and an emergency unit. It will also host maternity services.
Health chiefs expect MMUH to transform healthcare in the area with its “world-class” setting.
The total cost of the hospital will be in excess of £988 million – £300 million more than originally planned.
Rachel Barlow, managing director of Midland Metropolitan Programme, announced the patient delay at Sandwell Council’s recent health overview and scrutiny meeting.
She said: “I want to start off with a really positive point…our purpose is to safely open MMUH and we’re confident that will be in 2024. We’re very confident about that fact.
“We anticipate our construction partners to hand over the building to us once they finish construction and technical commissioning in the spring time and that will then become a trust asset.
"We [then] need around 26 weeks to load the building with all the materials and kit, to do all of our clinical testing scenarios and practices, and importantly, induct our staff into the building.
"So it’s likely earlier on next year that we will be confirming our move date for the autumn.”
Ms Barlow added that the vision for the hospital is to “transform clinical services” and act as a “catalyst to enhance care and treatment and improve life chances and health outcomes for our communities.”
