Building start date for Leeds General Infirmary upgrade revealed ...

A critical upgrade to hospital facilities could incur an additional £800m in costs after the government postponed the project.

Authorities in charge of city health were informed that construction at Leeds General Infirmary could not commence until at least 2032. Consequently, the provision of a new maternity unit, adult's hospital, and children's hospital may now be pushed back to 2040 - more than two decades since the initial announcement.

A recent status update indicated that the government's decision, combined with earlier setbacks, "could result in an estimated additional £800m cost" for the undertaking. Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust had been previously assured that it would receive government funding.

The pause in progress is part of several projects re-evaluated following an initiative by Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive of LTH, said: "This means our patients, staff and communities in Yorkshire and beyond will need to wait even longer for this much-needed new hospital."

The Trust has alerted authorities about sections of the LGI exceeding 150 years old, deeming them unsuitable for modern medical needs. With a looming maintenance backlog surpassing £650m, part of the challenge involves the upkeep of the aging infrastructures of LGI.

Upon review, the total estimated expense for the LGI development, a segment of the national New Hospital Programme (NHP), is forecasted to reach between £1.5bn and £2bn.

But LTH said the information used to come up with that figure, and delay the scheme, had not been shared. Prof Wood said: "We have requested the information from the NHP which has been used to determine the decision that has informed this delay.

"We will continue to work with the NHP, to understand the detail of this announcement and what it means for our plans."

LTH is currently evaluating how much additional funding will be required to maintain the LGI site. Prof Wood said: "Our key priority now will be to make sure that we can continue to provide safe, high quality services for our patients in an appropriate environment."

A construction site was cleared to accommodate the new LGI facilities and proposals were submitted to the council. The trust had planned a series of public events to disseminate information about the scheme.

The progress report indicated that a new planning application would be necessary once the current consent expires in June.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stated that national NHP schemes were prioritised based on established criteria. A spokesperson said: "This government has confirmed a funding plan and realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of LGI, and we will work closely with trusts to accelerate progress where possible."

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