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Belfast’s new maternity hospital may face a further delay of up to 28 months, according to recent reports. Mike Nesbitt, addressing the assembly, expressed the sobering news and called for an external expert to assess the decision-making process. The possibility of opening certain sections of the hospital sooner is also being explored.
The minister emphasized that more needs to be done to grasp the reasons behind conflicting opinions from various experts regarding the preferred course of action by the health trust. Discussions during the recent health committee meeting revealed three potential solutions to rectify the water system issues within the hospital. These solutions included ongoing testing of individual water taps, implementing discreet checking systems in critical areas like the neonatal unit, and the drastic measure of replacing the entire water system.
The new maternity hospital, located within the Royal Victoria Hospital grounds in Belfast, has already experienced a decade-long delay in its construction and has incurred costs of £97m. The management has opted for the installation of discreet checking systems as the most secure way forward to ensure the safety of vulnerable infants. The hospital began its clinical commissioning phase in March 2024 after taking possession of the building.
Shortly after commencing testing of water outlets in July, elevated levels of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a potentially harmful bacterium, were detected in the water system. This discovery is reminiscent of the tragic events in 2012 at Belfast’s Royal Jubilee Hospital, where three babies lost their lives due to Pseudomonas infection. While the infection typically poses little risk to healthy individuals, it can be life-threatening for infants and those with weakened immune systems.
Marie-Louise Connolly, BBC News NI Health Correspondent, expressed astonishment at the ongoing delays in the opening of Belfast’s new maternity hospital. Despite the paramount importance of ensuring the safety of mothers and babies, the decision-making process appears to be stalling once again. Additional consultations with experts have been initiated to devise a strategy for resolving the crisis, even as time continues to elapse, leaving pregnant women, newborns, and hospital staff in less than ideal circumstances
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