Work on Midland Metropolitan Hospital could re-start by end of year
A date of December for work to re-start on the £475m Midland Metropolitan Hospital Carillion was building before its collapse could still be possible if the Government gives the go-ahead in the next six weeks, health bosses have said.
Contractor Balfour Beatty and the NHS trust responsible for completing the hospital Carillion are yet to agree on when the £267m project can be finished.
The Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust named Balfour Beatty its preferred bidder to complete the hospital earlier this year but plans to sign off the contract have been delayed.
In board meeting papers, the Trust said it is targeting a December restart date for final completion works to begin with full sign-off for the contract secured in the next few weeks to ensure its 2022 opening before mid-summer, three years later than originally planned.
Trust chief executive Toby Lewis said: “The board approved the final business case to complete the Midland Met at its June meeting in expectation of external approval by the end of August 2019.
“While that timetable has not been achieved, it remains possible to achieve re-start on site at the outset of December. This would, probably, secure 2022 opening before mid-summer.
“That timetable is achievable if a deal is reached in October, given adjustments to the extant early works contract that we have made conscious of the small delay.”
