Trust chairman cannot give date for opening of delayed maternity hospital

Ciaran Mulgrew said options continue to be assessed to resolve issues around the discovery of bacteria in the building's water system.

It was disclosed last year that the hospital's opening would be significantly delayed after high levels of pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA) were found.

The hospital, which was already several years late and over budget, had been expected to open this year after the trust took possession of the new building last March.

In April this year, trust officials told a Stormont committee that the source of the potentially deadly bacteria in the water system had still not been found.

Another problem around the medical gas pipework was later identified that would cost approximately £50,000 to rectify.

A Northern Ireland Audit Office report had said the hospital was originally expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

Asked when the building would eventually open, Mr Mulgrew said: "I can't give you a specific date when that is going to open because there is an issue with pseudomonas, which is a bacteria within the water system.

"We are assessing what options are available to us to resolve that."

Asked if the delay in opening would be two to three years, Mr Mulgrew said: "I don't think we are talking anywhere near that length of time, but this is not my area of expertise and I don't want any hostages to fortune.

"You are asking me to give a hostage to fortune in an area where I am not a bacteriologist.

"What I will say is, we are aware of the problem, we are trying to understand how the pseudomonas got there and how we can get rid of that pseudomonas."

When the PA news agency attempted to ask further questions about the project, Mr Mulgrew responded: "I am not a bacteriologist, to be honest."

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has faced difficulties aside from the maternity hospital delay.

The city's new 10-floor children's hospital, which is to accompany the maternity hospital at the Royal site, was originally planned to open at 2020 at a cost of £223 million.

It was announced earlier this year that work would get finally under way, with the project due to be completed at the beginning of the next decade at a projected cost of £671 million.

The trust leadership has also been criticised after the findings of a report on staff culture at the cardiac surgery unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) were leaked to the media.

The findings of the independent external review, which were first reported by UTV, are said to have included an intolerable working environment and a pattern of consistently poor behaviour within the unit.

During a meeting of the Stormont Health Committee it was stated that the report contained allegations of bullying of junior staff by more senior staff, heart surgeons working from home and the throwing of medical instruments during operations.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said he will be holding the trust's senior management accountable for its response to the report and is finalising a series of departmental interventions.