Hundreds of high-risk repairs to NHS buildings will cost £64m

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today revealed that there are hundreds of high-risk repairs outstanding in NHS buildings across Scotland, with the estimated cost of this repair work totalling more than £64 million.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request asked all of Scotland’s health boards for the number of high-risk repairs still outstanding for their buildings. It also asked how long each has been waiting to be resolved and the estimated cost of that remedial work.

Of those boards that responded, the request found that:

• There are 343 high-risk repairs still outstanding across the Scottish NHS estate.
• The total cost of these high-risk repairs is estimated to be £64,490,724.
• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde said that the total cost of high-risk repairs in their health board is £35,892,575, while NHS Grampian reported a repair bill of £12,723,167 and NHS Shetland said their outstanding repairs would cost £10,388,000.
• NHS Fife said that two of their high-risk repairs had been outstanding since 2016, while NHS Lanarkshire said that several jobs had been outstanding since 2017.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:  

“For years, the SNP have failed to upgrade NHS buildings and ensure they’re fit for purpose. The extensive repairs and eye-watering costs we see today are clear proof of that mismanagement.

“The cauldron of pressures facing health boards is huge: from staff shortages to lengthy waiting times, and now hundreds of high-risk repairs which pose risks to staff and patient safety.

“As a basic minimum, patients should expect to be treated in safe, modern facilities where they can get the care they deserve. The Scottish Government must set out how they will help health boards with these repairs and finally get our NHS back on track.”