London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Health board warned about Aberdeen hospital concerns years ago - report

Health board warned about Aberdeen hospital concerns years ago - report

A health board was warned about ventilation issues years before they delayed the opening of new hospital buildings, an NHS review has revealed.

Last month it was announced problems with ventilation systems were among issues contributing to delays at two Aberdeen hospital buildings.

But a review shows "multiple concerns" about the issue were raised in 2020 and "do not appear to have been addressed".

NHS Grampian said it was addressing the points raised by the review.

The health board added that many of the issues raised by NHS Scotland were due to changes in guidance and processes in the wake of problems with new hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre were both meant to open in 2020 but a series of delays mean the overall project cost is now £261m - £98m more than the original estimate.

A review of the Anchor Centre project, which will provide services for haematology and oncology patients, was completed by NHS Scotland in March as part of work to ensure infection prevention and control are a key consideration in building new hospitals across the country.

The review found the project had three "significant" issues to address, including ventilation and drainage, and 15 more issues categorised as "major".

The report, released to BBC Scotland under freedom of information laws, shows that a previous NHS review produced in September, 2020 "identified multiple concerns in relation to the development of the ventilation strategy that, from the evidence presented, do not appear to have been addressed".

These concerns were raised a month after the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry was launched.

The input of NHS Grampian's Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) team is assessed by the NHS Scotland report.

'Significant concern'

The health board said its IPC team has had to prioritise its work responding to the Covid pandemic in recent years and had "no capacity to support this project".

But the team has now raised a number of concerns about ventilation and water services which have added to the project's delays.

The NHS Scotland report says there is "no evidence of IPC input to, review of or sign off of any main project risks or derogations for the project to date", and it also suggests there is "no evidence of any regular site inspections" by the IPC team during construction.
The Baird Family Hospital will provide maternity and breast-screening services


The report also adds that "of significant concern" is a lack of assurance demonstrating stakeholder interaction and sign-off of developed strategies, particularly with respect to the IPC concerns.

Concerns about contractors' lack of experience on healthcare building projects was also raised, as were a number of governance issues.


Levels of care


The Anchor centre is expected to open in October and the Baird Family Hospital, which will provide maternity and breast screening services, as well as a neonatal unit and operating theatre, is meant to open in September next year.

The buildings will be located next to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

The Covid pandemic, a work fatality on site and a contractor going into liquidation have all also added to the project's overall delays.

An NHS Grampian spokesman said the board "welcomed the robust scrutiny" in the NHS Scotland report and said it was "actively working" with them to improve the areas highlighted.

He added: "Many of the points raised are due to changes in guidance and process, that came following issues with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

"In the majority of cases, our teams were already aware of and actively working to address the issues and opportunities raised.

"Our IPC team is now embedded within the project board delivering these complex clinical buildings, so that when the Anchor Centre and Baird Family Hospital open their doors, they will provide the best possible levels of care for patients. "

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×