Opening of the new Royal Papworth Hospital is delayed

The hospital was due to move to a new building on Cambridge Biomedical Campus in September.

Royal Papworth Hospital has today (Wednesday June 27) announced a delay to the opening of its new hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Skanska, the company constructing the new building, has used insulation materials that do not meet the NHS Foundation Trust’s original requirements in the lower part of the hospital building.

As a result, Royal Papworth Hospital’s Board of Directors has taken the decision not to accept handover of the building, which was to happen next month, until Skanska has completed remedial work in accordance with the Trust’s original requirements.

This will cause a delay to the opening of the hospital. Skanska has not confirmed how long this work will take, but Royal Papworth says early indications suggest it will take a number of months.

Stephen Posey, Chief Executive at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely disappointed that we will not be able to open our new hospital in September as planned.

“Our staff have been working extremely hard to prepare for the move, and it is incredibly frustrating to discover a problem with the building at this late stage. However, we must ensure that our new building meets our original requirements.

“We do not underestimate the impact that this news will have on our staff. Providing clear information and support to them will be a priority for us over the coming weeks.

“In the months ahead, we will continue to focus on providing high quality services to our patients on our current site. We remain committed to the vision of the new hospital and the benefits it will bring to our staff and patients for many years to come.”

The handover was due in July to allow the Trust two months to train staff and complete its equipping programme before opening the new building to patients in September.