Hospital delay set to cost more than £5m

Apr 17 2008 by Claire Rees, Rhymney Valley Express

A SUPER hospital for the Rhymney Valley will not be ready until at least 2011 – a year behind schedule and £5m over budget.

The Express has learned the 277-bed general hospital at Ystrad Fawr near Ystrad Mynach is now expected to be open by September 2011, instead of as planned in 2010, and it could cost millions to pay for the delay.

In a letter to a resident, Julian Hayman of Gwent Healthcare Trust confirmed delays to the new £30m Caerphilly Council offices at Penallta House formed part of the reason for the set-back.

The trust said a week’s delay could cost £100,000 – meaning the anticipated year delay would hit their pockets by more than £5m.

Mr Hayman added in the letter: “The practical completion date of the construction phase is currently anticipated to be August 2011, although we will be overlapping the commissioning of the building to ensure that we get the hospital into operational use as quickly as possible following this – anticipated to be September 2011.”

Almost 600 jobs are planned to be created at the long-awaited building, billed as a super hospital to replace Caerphilly Miners’ at a cost of £110m.

Former Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons described it as a “key development in South-East Wales and integral to the modernisation plans of Gwent NHS Trust”.

The hospital will occupy the site currently taken up by council offices, which are set to be demolished once the new council headquarters Ty Penallta House opens.

Ty Penallta has also caused controversy by holding up motorists due to temporary traffic lights on the A472. Mr Hayman added: “Our desire is to ensure we design the hospital to the best possible standards”.

What do you think of the delays?

Do you think the council building has taken priority over the health of the Valley?

Send us a letter to Letters, The Editor, Rhymney Valley Express, 52-53 Glebeland Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AT.